Kawahara Shrine

The is a

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

and Buddhist

Benten-dō In Japanese a is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Benten or Benzaiten, goddess of wealth, happiness, wisdom, and music. Many such temples exist all over Japan. Because the goddess was originally the personification of a river, ''Benten-dō'' often ...

located in the Showa ward of

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

, central Japan. The construction date of the shrine is not clear, it is assumed however that is appeared around 1000. The shrine underwent a number of reconstructions and renovations, the last one being in 1998. There is a pond with turtles that surround the shrine. Since Buddhism and Shinto were closely intertwined, the shrine was also dedicated to

Benzaiten Benzaiten (''shinjitai'': 弁才天 or 弁財天; ''kyūjitai'': 辯才天, 辨才天, or 辨財天, lit. "goddess of eloquence"), also simply known as Benten (''shinjitai'': 弁天; ''kyūjitai'': 辯天 / 辨天), is a Japanese Buddhist god ...

. Therefore, it is better known as the "Benten of Kawana" rather than "Kawahara Shrine". The nearest

Nagoya Municipal Bus The is a bus service operated by the Bus Service Division of the . It is also called . The bureau mainly operates bus routes in the wards of Nagoya. See also *List of bus operating companies in Japan List of bus operating companies in Japan ...

stop is "Bentenmae" on the No. 18. Shinto shrines in Nagoya {{shinto-stub