Only something as old as this Great Camphor Tree could tell you the history of Atsuta Jingu, but this might not be the right tree since it’s not included in the old shrine drawings. So how long has this tree been here?

As if that wasn’t confusing enough, another mystery lies at the foot of the tree -- eggs. Eggs are left as offerings, supposedly as a gift to a snake that lives in the tree.

Perhaps the snake is a descendant of Yamata-no-Orochi watching over the Kusanagi no Mitsurugi. The legendary sword is associated with even more stories and folklore.


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In the year 668, a monk stole the sword from Atsuta Jingu and tried to flee to Silla on the Korean peninsula. The sword miraculously returned to Atsuta but the monk came back to steal it again.

This time, the monk got caught in a terrible storm and washed ashore in the Osaka district of Namba. Finally, he decided to discard the sword and flee, but to his surprise, it wouldn’t leave his side, leading him to turn himself in and be sentenced to death.

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This story might be rather bizarre, but do you think there’s any truth hidden within it? Did anything else happen in 668?

What was happening in Silla at that time? Who was the monk? How did he steal the sword in the first place? Take a moment to think about it however you wish.