Izumo Taisha
The Main Hall Is A National Treasure · Izumo, Shimane
One of the oldest and most important Shinto shrines in Japan, in the quiet coastal region of Izumo in Shimane prefecture, on the Sea of Japan. It is dedicated to Okuninushi, the god of good relationships and marriage, so couples and people hoping for love come from all over the country. Its date of founding is unknown, but it appears in the oldest Japanese chronicles of the eighth century. The main hall, rebuilt in 1744, is in the oldest style of shrine architecture and a National Treasure; excavations found the bases of giant pillars suggesting that the medieval hall stood nearly fifty metres tall. Its most famous sight is the huge shimenawa, a sacred rope of rice straw over the Kagura-den hall, weighing about five tonnes. At Izumo the usual clapping is four times rather than two. In the tenth lunar month, when the gods of Japan are believed to gather here, the rest of the country calls it the month without gods, and Izumo calls it the month with gods. Nearby are the Inasa beach, the Hinomisaki lighthouse, and the Adachi Museum's famous garden.
195 Kizukihigashi, Taisha-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 699-0701, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED - CONFIRM BEFORE GOING. The typical pattern: the shrine grounds open very early in the morning, around 6am, and close in the evening, around 8pm, every day of the year; the treasure hall keeps shorter daytime hours. The Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo opens about 9am to 5 or 6pm and closes one day a month. The Hinomisaki lighthouse opens in the day and closes in high wind. The traps: infrequent Ichibata trains and buses, last connections in the early evening, rituals that close parts of the grounds, and rooms that sell out months ahead for Kamiarizuki. Confirm times before relying on them.