Itsukushima Shrine

	;
	; Itsukushima Shrine
	; "Itsukushima Shrine" in kanji; ;
Japanese name
Kanji	; 厳島神社;
Transcriptions
Romanization	; Itsukushima jinja
	;

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
UNESCO World Heritage site
	; The torii of Itsukushima Shrine, the site's most recognizable landmark, appears to float in the water;
Location	; Itsukushima, Japan
Criteria	; Cultural: i, ii, iv, vi
Reference	; 776;
Inscription	; 1996 (20th Session);
Area	; 431.2 ha
Buffer zone	; 2,634.3 ha
Website	; www.en.itsukushimajinja.jp;
Coordinates	; 34°17′45″N 132°19′11″E / 34.29583°N 132.31972°E / 34.29583; 132.31972;
	; ; ; ; ; Location of Itsukushima Shrine in Japan; ;

Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" torii gate.^[1] It is in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as National Treasures.

History[edit]

Itsukushima jinja was the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) of Aki Province.
^[2]

The shrine has been destroyed several times, but the first shrine buildings were probably erected in the 6th century. The present shrine dates from the mid-16th century, and is believed to follow an earlier design from the 12th century.^[3]^[4] That design was established in 1168, when funds were provided by the warlord Taira no Kiyomori.

The shrine was "devoted to the worship of goddesses to whom Kiyomori owed thanks, he felt, for his success in life." Originally it was a pure Shinto shrine "where no births or deaths were allowed to cause pollution. Its treasures include the celebrated Heike Nōkyō, or 'Sutras dedicated by the Taira House of Taira'. These consist of thirty-two scrolls, on which the Lotus and other sutras have been copied by Kiyomori, his sons, and other members of the family, each completing the writing of one scroll. Kiyomori lavished great wealth upon Itsukushima, and he liked to show the place to his friends and colleagues, or even to royal personages..."^[5]

The Itsukushima Shrine at high tide, when it appears to float on the water

The shrine was designed and built on pier-like structures over the bay so that it would appear to be floating on the water, separate from the sacred island, which could be approached by the devout.

Near the main shrine is a noh stage which dates from 1590.^[1]Noh theater performances have long been used to pay homage to the gods through the ritual acting out of key events in Shinto myth.

The dramatic gate, or torii, of Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions, and the most recognizable and celebrated feature of the Itsukushima shrine,^[6] and the view of the gate in front of the island's Mount Misen is classified as one of the Three Views of Japan (along with the sand bar Amanohashidate, and Matsushima Bay). Although a gate has been in place since 1168, the current gate dates back only to 1875.^[1] The gate, built of decay-resistant camphor wood, is about 16 metres high. The placement of an additional leg in front of and behind each main pillar identifies the torii as reflecting the style of Ryōbu Shintō (dual Shinto), a medieval school of esoteric Japanese Buddhism associated with the Shingon Sect.

The torii appears to be floating only at high tide. When the tide is low, it is approachable by foot from the island. Gathering shellfish near the gate is also popular at low tide. At night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the torii.

The torii gate, accessible from the island during low tide

On September 5, 2004, the shrine was severely damaged by Typhoon Songda. The boardwalks and roof were partially destroyed, and the shrine was temporarily closed for repairs.

Religious significance[edit]

The shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto, Shinto god of seas and storms, and brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu (tutelary deity of the Imperial Household). Because the island itself has been considered sacred, commoners were not allowed to set foot on it throughout much of its history to maintain its purity. To allow pilgrims to approach, the shrine was built like a pier over the water, so that it appeared to float, separate from the land.^[7] The red entrance gate, or torii, was built over the water for much the same reason. Commoners had to steer their boats through the torii before approaching the shrine.

Retaining the purity of the shrine is so important that since 1878, no deaths or births have been permitted near it.^[8] To this day, pregnant women are supposed to retreat to the mainland as the day of delivery approaches, as are the terminally ill or the very elderly whose passing has become imminent. Burials on the island are forbidden.

View from the torii

Gallery[edit]

A close-up of the shrine's torii

The torii at low tide

The torii at sunrise

The torii at sunset

The torii at night

The torii at low tide, from the inside of the shrine.

The buildings that make up the shrine itself are also built in the water.

Illumination of Lotus Sutra donated in 1164

Barrels of sake in one of the shrine's "floating" buildings

The shrine's halls and pathways on stilts.

Itsukushima Shrine Family Crest

The torii gate as seen from the castle at low tide

Five-Tiered Pagoda at Itsukushima

Deer near the torii gate

Panorama of the floating torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine.

G7 Ministerial Meetings.

Inside of Itsukushima main shrine (Haiden)

Bridge in Miyajima

Tahōtō Pagoda

Hiroshige

Hiroshige

Kunisada

Hiroshige II

Kobayashi Kiyochika

Yoshitoshi

Yoshitoshi

Hasui Kawase

References[edit]

^ ^a^b^c Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Itsukushima-jinja" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 407.

^ "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 3 Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine.; retrieved 2012-11-20.

^ "Itsukushima Shinto Shrine". UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em

^ Mason, Penelope (2004). Dimwiddle, Donald, ed. History of Japanese Art (2nd ed.).

^ Sansom, George (1958). A History of Japan to 1334. Stanford University Press. p. 276. ISBN 0804705232.

^ "Japan Sightseeing Guide". japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide. japan-guide.com. Retrieved 2009-01-17.

^ Turner, Victor W. (1969). The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-structure. Chicago: Aldine Pub.

^ "Itsukushima". GoJapanGo. 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2011.

External links[edit]

UNESCO World Heritage description

Official Website of Itsukushima Shrine (in Japanese)

http://www.en.itsukushimajinja.jp/index.html (in English)

Miyajima Guide including Itsukushima Shrine

National Archives of Japan: Itsukushima kakei

[nussbaum407-1] Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Itsukushima-jinja" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 407.

[2] "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 3 Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine.; retrieved 2012-11-20.

[3] "Itsukushima Shinto Shrine". UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em

[4] Mason, Penelope (2004). Dimwiddle, Donald, ed. History of Japanese Art (2nd ed.).

[Sansom-5] Sansom, George (1958). A History of Japan to 1334. Stanford University Press. p. 276. ISBN 0804705232.

[6] "Japan Sightseeing Guide". japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide. japan-guide.com. Retrieved 2009-01-17.

[7] Turner, Victor W. (1969). The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-structure. Chicago: Aldine Pub.

[8] "Itsukushima". GoJapanGo. 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2011.

v t e World Heritage Sites in Japan
Hokkaido	Shiretoko
Tōhoku	Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land Shirakami-Sanchi Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
Kantō	The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier Shrines and Temples of Nikkō Ogasawara Islands Tomioka Silk Mill
Chūbu	Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
Kansai	Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area Himeji Castle Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Chūgoku	Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) Itsukushima Shinto Shrine Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
Kyushu	Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining Yakushima Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

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