Itsukushima Shrine (Japanese: 厳島神社 Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima).[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.
Itsukushima jinja was the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) of Aki Province. [2]
Near the main shrine is a noh stage which dates from 1590.[1] Noh
theater performances have long been used to pay honor to the gods, and
ritually act out key events in the mythic history of Shinto belief.
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,[4] 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).
The torii only appears to be floating at high tide;
when the tide is low, it is approachable by foot from the island. It is
common practice for visitors to place coins in the cracks of the legs
of the gate and make a wish. Gathering shellfish near the gate is also popular at low tide. Many locals add the shellfish they gather to their miso soup. At night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the torii.
The shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto, Shinto deity of seas and storms and brother of the great sun deity, Amaterasu (tutelary deity of the Imperial Household).
Because the island itself has been considered sacred, in order to
maintain its purity commoners were not allowed to set foot on Miyajima
through much of its history. In order 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, and therefore existed in a liminal state between the sacred and the profane.[5]
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