Itsukushima Shrine

이쓰쿠시마 신사

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on Miyajima, a small island in the Seto Inland Sea near Hiroshima, Japan. It is famous for its huge vermilion torii gate, which stands in the water and seems to float on the sea when the tide is high. The shrine honors three goddesses of the sea and storms, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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At a glance

Country: Japan
Location: Miyajima, Hiroshima, Japan
Built: 1168
Height: 16 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Itsukushima Shrine?

Itsukushima Shrine is in Miyajima, Hiroshima, Japan.

When was Itsukushima Shrine built?

Itsukushima Shrine was built in 1168.

A Shinto shrine famous for its vermilion torii gate that seems to float on the sea at high tide.

The shrine's buildings are built on stilts over the shallow bay, so at high tide the whole complex looks like it is drifting on the water. The island itself has long been seen as sacred, and the shrine is one of the most visited places in Japan.

History

A shrine is said to have stood here since the late 500s, but the big, graceful complex was shaped in 1168 by Taira no Kiyomori, a powerful noble who governed the region and traded by sea. Later rulers, such as Mori Motonari in the 1500s, rebuilt parts of it. The great torii you see today was put up in 1875, replacing earlier gates that had stood at the spot since 1168.

Why does it seem to float?

Miyajima's old rules kept ordinary people from setting foot on the sacred island, so pilgrims arrived by boat and passed through the torii first. The shrine was built over the bay so the island itself would stay untouched. The great gate, made of decay-resistant camphor wood, stands free in the water, about 15 to 16 meters tall. At low tide visitors can walk out to it over the wet sand.

Fun facts

The present great torii was put up in 1875.
Since 1878, no births or deaths have been allowed close to the shrine, to keep the sacred island pure.
Tradition says the first torii gate at this spot was raised in the year 569.
Itsukushima Shrine became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.