is a

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

on the island of

Itsukushima is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as , which in Japanese means "Shrine Island". The island is one of Hayashi Gahō's Three Views of Japan specifie ...

(popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" ''

torii A is a traditional culture of Japan, Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to ...

''. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)
"''Itsukushima-jinja''"
in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 407. It is in the city of

Hatsukaichi is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 116,087 in 53,320 households and a population density of 240 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Hatsukaichi is located in far s ...

, in Hiroshima Prefecture in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, accessible from the mainland by ferry at

Miyajimaguchi Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). From the pier near the station there are ferry services for Miyajima (Itsukushima) ...

. The shrine complex is listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

, and the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as

National Treasures A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...

. The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or ''torii'' on the outskirts of the shrine, the sacred peaks of

Mount Misen is the sacred mountain on Itsukushima in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan, and is the highest mountain on the island at 535 m; it is situated within the World Heritage area of Itsukushima Shrine. The sea around the island (Seto Inland Sea) and al ...

, extensive forests, and its ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it.

History

Origin

''Itsukushima jinja'' was the chief Shinto shrine (''

ichinomiya is a Japanese language, Japanese historical term referring to the Shinto shrines with the highest rank in a Provinces of Japan, province. Shrines of lower rank were designated , , , and so forth.''Encyclopedia of Shinto'' ''Ichi no miya'' retr ...

'') of

Aki Province or Geishū () was a province in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture. History When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province (one for male Buddhist prie ...

. This shrine is one of the "Three Great Shrines of Aki Province", along with

Take Shrine Take Shrine (多家神社) is a Sōja shrine in Fuchū, Hiroshima (town), Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima. It is a Sōja shrine so it enshrines all the kami of the shrines in Aki Province, Aki Provinces of Japan, Province. It is located on the s ...

and

Hayatani Shrine Hayatani Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Hatsukaichi, a suburb of Hiroshima. It is a Myojin Taisha and Ninomiya of Aki Province and is currently designated as a Beppyo Shrine. Overview Hayatani Shrine is a sacred place in Aki Province ...

. The first ''torii'' on the site is said to have been erected in 569 , supposedly by Saeki Kuramoto during the reign of

Empress Suiko (554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō''): She introduced Buddhism in Japan and built many Buddhist temples, but she held the balance between Buddhism and Shintoism. Under her rule, Japan ...

(592–628 CE). Although a ''torii'' has been in place at the site since 1168, the current structure dates to 1875. The present shrine has been popularly attributed to

Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and '' kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Japan, in 1118 as the first son of Taira ...

, a prominent noble of the Imperial Court and later Chancellor (

Daijō-daijin The was the head of the during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. It was equivalent to the Chinese , or Grand Preceptor. History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, was the first to have been acco ...

), who contributed heavily to the construction of the shrine during his time as governor of Aki Province in 1168. Another renowned patron of the shrine was

Mōri Motonari was a prominent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the western Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Mōri clan claimed descent from Ōe no Hiromoto (大江広元), an adviser to Minamoto no Yoritomo. Motonari w ...

, lord of

Chōshū Domain The , also known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871.Deal, William E. (2005) ''Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan,'' p. 81 The Chōshū Domain was based ...

, who was responsible for rebuilding the in 1571. As a result of waging war against

Sue Takafusa was a samurai who served as a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan in the Sengoku period in Japan. He was the second son of Sue Okifusa, a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan. His childhood name was Goro, and he previously had the name Takafusa () ...

there in 1555, Motonari is said to have tainted the island's grounds by battling on the island. Spilling blood violated the strict taboos meant to preserve the sacred purity associated with Shinto shrines. The only surviving structure in Itsukushima shrine from the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

is the Kyakuden or "Guest-God's Shrine".

Kiyomori

It was not uncommon during the 12th century for the nobility to build shrines or take on other architectural projects in order to "reflect their power and splendor." The

Taira clan The was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, Heian period of History of Japan, Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto clan, Minamoto, the Fujiwara clan, Fuji ...

are known specifically for their involvement in maritime trade with the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

(960–1279) and for attempting to monopolize overseas trade along the Inland Sea. Kiyomori was at the height of his power when he established the Taira dominion over the island. He "ordered construction of the main hall of Itsukushima shrine as a display of reverence for the tutelary god of navigation and to serve as a base for maritime activities..." Miyajima soon became the Taira family shrine. Supposedly, Kiyomori chose the location also for the reason to further establish himself in the Heian aristocracy as one who deviated from the social norms of

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

pilgrimage . He lavished great wealth upon Itsukushima, and he enjoyed showing the place to his friends and colleagues, or even to royal personages..." It is also said that

Kiyomori was a military leader and ''kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Japan, in 1118 as the first son of Taira no ...

rebuilt the shrine on account of a dream he had of an old monk who promised him dominion over Japan if he constructed a shrine on the island of Miyajima, and pay homage to its

kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

who are enshrined there for his success in life. The renovations funded by the Taira allowed for Itsukushima to "grow into an important religious complex." Itsukushima Shrine at high tide

Religious significance

The Itsukushima shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto: Ichikishimahime no mikoto, Tagorihime no mikoto, and Tagitsuhime no mikoto. Otherwise known as the ''sanjoshin'' or "three female deities", these Shinto deities are the goddesses of seas and storms. Kiyomori believed the goddesses to be "manifestations of

Kannon Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

," therefore the island was understood as the home of the

bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...

. In Japanese, the word Itsukushima translates to "island dedicated to the gods." The island itself is also considered to be a god, which is why the shrine was built on the outskirts of the island. Adding to its sanctity, Mount Misen is the tallest peak at about 1,755 feet. Tourists can either hike or take a ropeway to the top. Its treasures include the celebrated Heike Nōkyō, or "Sutras dedicated by the House of Taira." These consist of thirty-two scrolls, on which the Lotus, Amida, and Heart sutras have been copied by Kiyomori, his sons, and other members of the family, each completing the transcription of one scroll, and it was "decorated with silver, gold, and mother-of-pearl by himself iyomoriand other members of his clan." Originally Itsukushima was a pure Shinto shrine "where no births or deaths were allowed to cause pollution". 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. Retaining the purity of the shrine is so important that since 1878, no deaths or births have been permitted near it. 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 Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and object ...

on the island are forbidden. To allow pilgrims to approach, the shrine was built like a

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

over the water, so that it appeared to float, separate from the land. The red entrance gate, or ''

'', was built over the water for much the same reason. Commoners had to steer their boats through the ''torii'' before approaching the shrine.

Architecture

Japan has gone to great lengths to preserve the twelfth-century-style architecture of the Shrine throughout history. The shrine was designed and built according to the ''

Shinden-zukuri ''Shinden-zukuri'' (寝殿造) refers to an architectural style created in the Heian period (794－1185) in Japan and used mainly for palaces and residences of nobles. In 894, Japan abolished the ''kentōshi'' (Japanese missions to Tang China ...

'' style, equipped with pier-like structures over the

Matsushima is a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. There are some 260 tiny islands (''shima'') covered in pines (''matsu'') – hence the name – and it is considered to be one of the Three Views of Japan. Nearby cultural properti ...

bay in order to create the illusion of floating on the water, separate from island, which could be approached by the devout "like a palace on the sea." This idea of intertwining architecture and nature is reflective of a popular trend during the 16th century as well as the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

in which Japanese structures tended to "follow after their environment," often allowing trees, water, and other forms of natural beauty to enter into the decor of homes and buildings. That led to a far more intimate relationship between the two. Itsukushima-jinja_honden

The most recognizable and celebrated feature of the Itsukushima shrine, is its -tall vermilion otorii gate ("great gate"), built of decay-resistant

camphor wood ''Camphora officinarum'' is a species of evergreen tree indigenous to warm temperate to subtropical regions of East Asia, including countries such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. It is known by various names, most notably the camph ...

. The placement of an additional leg in front of and behind each main pillar identifies the ''torii'' as reflecting the style of ''

Ryōbu Shintō The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

'' (dual Shinto), a medieval school of esoteric

Japanese Buddhism Buddhism was first established in Japan in the 6th century CE. Most of the Japanese Buddhists belong to new schools of Buddhism which were established in the Kamakura period (1185－1333). During the Edo period (1603–1868), Buddhism was cont ...

associated with the

Shingon Sect is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called "Tōmitsu" (東密 lit. "Esoteric uddhismof Tō- ...

. The ''torii'' appears to be floating only at high

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

. When the tide is low, it is approachable by foot from the island. Gathering

shellfish Shellfish, in colloquial and fisheries usage, are exoskeleton-bearing Aquatic animal, aquatic invertebrates used as Human food, food, including various species of Mollusca, molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish ...

near the gate is popular at low tide. At night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the structure. The current ''torii'' dates to 1875, although there has been one on that site since 1168.

Shinto architecture Some examples of Shinto architecture Shinto architecture is the architecture of Japanese Shinto shrines. With a few exceptions like Ise Grand Shrine and Izumo Taisha, Shinto shrines before Buddhism were mostly temporary structures erected t ...

has many distinct parts, most of which include the shrine's (main hall) and the unusually long '' haiden'' (main oratory), and its equally long '' heiden'' (offertory hall). The "is an eight-by-four bay structure with a kirizuma roof surfaced in

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

bark." Its walls are decorated in white

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

, and were constructed using a process requiring fifteen coats of white stucco, with vermilion woodwork. Extending from the sides of the ''haraiden'' of the main shrine is a ''

noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. It is Japan's oldest major theater art that is still regularly performed today. Noh is often based on tales from traditional literature featuri ...

'' stage which dates from 1590. ''Noh'' theater performances have long been used to pay homage to the gods through the ritual acting out of key events in Shinto myth. 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. Today anyone can visit the shrine at a cost of 300 yen.

Gallery

File:Torii and Itsukushima Shrine.jpg, The ''torii'' at low tide File:Miyajima Alex.jpg, The ''torii'' at sunset File:Itsukushima-jinja torii at sunset.jpg, The ''torii'' at sunset File:Itsukushima Shrine Torii at night.jpg, The ''torii'' at night File:Torii low tide.jpg, The ''torii'' at low tide, from the inside of the shrine File:Itsukushima floating shrine.jpg, The buildings that make up the shrine itself are also built in the water. File:Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine.jpg, Barrels of

sake Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...

in one of the shrine's "floating" buildings File:Itsukshima Shrine.JPG, The shrine's halls and pathways on stilts File:Tori gate (view from the castle).jpg, The ''torii'' gate as seen from the castle at low tide File:20131012 07 Miyajima - Torii (10491662566).jpg, The ''torii'' with a visitor and view of the Seto Inland Sea File:Five-Tiered Pagoda (Miyajima).jpg, Five-Tiered Pagoda at Itsukushima File:Deer near the Tori gate.jpg, Deer near the torii gate File:Panorama of the floating torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine.jpg, Panorama of the floating ''torii'' gate at Itsukushima Shrine File:Secretary Kerry Sits With Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida and His Counterparts at the Miyajima Island (26319154496).jpg, 2016 G7 ministerial meetings File:Inside of Itsukushima main shrine.jpg, Inside of Itsukushima main shrine (Haiden) File:Bridge in Miyajima.jpg, Bridge in Miyajima File:Tahoto Pagoda, Miyajim - DSC02449.JPG, Tahōtō Pagoda File:Tea house in a woodland, Itsuku-Shima, Japan LCCN2001705665.tif, in its garden setting, circa 1900 File:President Joe Biden arrives at the Itsukushima Shrine and greets Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Priest (Guuji) Motoaki Nosaka, Friday, May 19, 2023, on Miyajima Island in Japan (cropped).jpg, President Joe Biden greets Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Priest (Guuji) Motoaki Nosaka on May 19, 2023

Artwork

Image:The Famous Scenes of the Sixty States 50 Aki.jpg, ''Aki Province: Itsukushima, Depiction of a Festival (Aki, Itsukushima, Sairei no zu'' from '' Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces'') by

Hiroshige or , born Andō Tokutarō (; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ''ukiyo-e'' artist, considered the last great master of that tradition. Hiroshige is best known for his horizontal-format landscape series '' The Fifty-three Stations ...

Image:Brooklyn Museum - Itsukushima in Aki Province - Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando).jpg, ''Itsukushima in Aki Province'' by

Image:Miyajima in de provincie Aki-Rijksmuseum RP-P-2008-214.jpeg, ''Miyajima in Aki Province'' by

Kunisada Utagawa Kunisada (; 1786 – 12 January 1865), also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III (, ), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist. He is considered the most popular, prolific and commercially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock printing in Japa ...

Image:Hiroshige II Aki Miyajima.jpg, ''Aki Miyajima Shiohigari ''from'' 100 Views of the Provinces'' by

Hiroshige II was a Japanese designer of ukiyo-e art. He inherited the name Hiroshige II following the death in 1858 of his master Hiroshige, whose daughter he married. In 1865 he moved from Edo to Yokohama after dissolving his marriage and began using ...

Image:Itsukushima Shrine LACMA M.71.100.97.jpg, ''Itsukushima Shrine'' by

Kobayashi Kiyochika was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, best known for his colour Woodblock printing in Japan, woodblock prints and newspaper illustrations. His work documents the rapid modernization and Westernization Japan underwent during the Meiji period (1868– ...

Image:Mori Motonari Attacking Sue Harutaka at Itsukushima LACMA M.84.31.247.jpg, ''Mori Motonari Attacking Sue Harutaka at Itsukushima by ''

Yoshitoshi Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (; also named Taiso Yoshitoshi ; 30 April 1839 – 9 June 1892) was a Japanese printmaker. Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric. (2005)"Tsukoka Kōgyō"in ''Japan Encyclopedia,'' p. 1000. Yoshitoshi has widely been rec ...

Image:Yoshitoshi - 100 Aspects of the Moon - 21.jpg, ''Itsukushima moon (Itsukushima no tsuki)'' by

Image:Tabi miyage dai nishū, seiten no yuki (Miyajima) by Kawase Hasui.jpg, ''Snow on a clear day at Miyajima (seiten no yuki iyajima'', woodblock print, from the series'' Souvenirs of Travel II (Tabi miyage dai nishū),'' by Hasui Kawase Image:HEIKE Lotus Sutra Prologue.JPG, Illumination of Lotus Sutra donated in 1164 Image:Emblem of Itsukushima Shrine.svg, Itsukushima Shrine

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

References

External links

UNESCO World Heritage description
*

Guide including Itsukushima Shrine *

National Archives of Japan The preserve Japanese government documents and historical records and make them available to the public. Although Japan's reverence for its unique history and art is well documented and illustrated by collections of art and documents, there is a ...

Itsukushima kakei
{{Munakata Faith Beppyo shrines Buildings and structures completed in 1168 Religious buildings and structures completed in the 1160s World Heritage Sites in Japan Shinto shrines in Hiroshima Prefecture Gates in Japan Tourist attractions in Hiroshima Prefecture National Treasures of Japan 16th-century Shinto shrines 12th-century Shinto shrines 6th-century Shinto shrines Kanpei Taisha Myōjin Taisha Itsukushima shrines Itsukushima Buildings and structures in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Torii Hiroshima Prefecture designated important cultural property Munakata shrines