Sacred places always attract tourists with their special feeling of calmness and unity with the local culture. There are many temples and monasteries in Japan, but one of the most prominent of them is the small shrine of Atsuta.

Great Amaterasu – a goddess of the sun – is honored there. Moreover, this temple is home to a great treasury, which is the sword Kusanagi. It is never shown to laymen. Only chosen people deserve to see one of the main emperor regalia.

Actually, according to legend, this small temple complex was created for storing that miraculous sword that has incredible power. Many great ancient warriors came to that temple to touch the sword and get the power before a battle. Some winners brought expensive gifts to the temple, built new constructions and defensive walls. Thanks to the great treasury, the temple was developing and becoming more and more beautiful.

By the way, debates about whether the original sword or its copy is stored in the sanctuary have still been continuing among historians and archeologists. According to legends and rare documentary writings, it is known that Kusanagi sank during a sea battle in 1185. However, there is no direct confirmation of that fact as well as there is no exact information that could deny the rumors about the loss of one of the three main emperor regalia which were gifted to the emperor by Amaterasu.

Unfortunately, the temple complex has not been preserved to our time in its initial state. First, in 1893, it was rebuilt to make it more modern and suit the architectural style of the Shinmeizukuri architectural style which was popular at that time. During the Second World War, several aircraft bombings led to a huge fire which demolished most part of the complex. However, the Atsuta Temple was rebuilt in 1955. After 11 more years, the Treasury Hall was fully restored. Today, it houses collections of ancient samurai swords, ritual masks and other art items.