Izumo Taisha Shrine (Izumo Oyashiro)

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Facts & Figures

Izumo Taisha, also known as Izumo Oyashiro Shrine, belongs to the oldest and most important and iconic Shinto shrines in Japan. It is located in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture. People come here to worship the main deity Okuninushi no Kami (“Great Lord of the Land”). The deity Okuninushi stands for good fortune and being the protector of connections between people, no matter if they are at work, at home, or in bigger groups. This makes it a very popular spot for wedding ceremonies. The shrine displays also one of Japan's largest shimenawa rope. It weighs 5 tons with a length of 13.5 meters. These ropes are made of straw and can be seen at sacred places such as shrines and spiritual landmarks, like Meoto Iwa. Shimenawa are used to push the evil away. Get Your Pass Now and Save! The beautiful Izumo Taisha complex and its four torii shrine gates attract many visitors from Japan and abroad. The main sanctuary building (go-honden) has the status of a National Treasure since 1952. Many other buildings within the shrine complex have the status of Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Visitors can stroll along beautiful pathways flanked by ancient pine trees, engage in traditional rituals, and immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of this place. You will make a funny observation when you visit this place, and these are cute little white rabbit statues, which are connected to ancient story about Okuninushi no Okami, who was protecting this little animal from bad intentions by his mean siblings. Another uniqueness of Izumo Taisha is the tradition to clap four times with your hands once you pay respect to the deity instead of two times at other shrines. Twice for themselves and twice for their current or future partners.

• Izumo Taisha Shrine:
• Opening Hours - whole day
• Closed - No closing days
• Admission Fee - free

• Treasure Hall:
• Opening Hours - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (last entry at 4:00 pm)
• Closed - No closing days
• Admission Fee - 300 yen

My tips for local activities

How about exploring the highlights and hidden gems of the city Matsue and the famous Izumo Taisha Shrine with a local guide. Check out this page > for more details.

History

No one knows exactly when Izumo Taisha (Izumo Oyashiro) was built, but this ancient shrine appears in the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), the Nihon Shoki (oldest historical chronicles of Japan), and Izumo no kuni fudoki. All were written in the beginning of the eighth century, during the Nara period (710 - 794). The current buildings you see today date back to 1744. Every 60 to 70 years, the shrine is rebuilt to preserve the kami’s power and traditional architectural techniques. This tradition is called Sengu and is also applied to other important shrines like Ise Grand Shrine (Ise Jingu). Over the centuries, the main hall of the shrine changed many times in appearance. It was even painted in red for a while. After its renovation in 1774, they switched it back to the original unpainted version. In 1871, the decision was made to rename the shrine from Kizuki no Oyashiro to Izumo Oyashiro. The most recent renovation took place from 2008 to 2013.

Sightseeing spots

top:

Honden (Main hall) - This National Treasure is built in the taisha-zukuri style. It is the oldest way to build these shrine structures. It has a height of 24 meters and in the old days it reached 48 meters. Honden is the tallest shrine building in Japan.

Kagura-den (Kagura hall) - This hall dates back to 1776 and was constructed by the Senge family. It is the main place to hold traditional performances, wedding ceremonies, and worship rituals. The whole structure was rebuilt in 1981.

Shokokan - This 2-storey building contains a museum, full of important cultural assets and national treasures, and the reception office for Kagura-den.

Homotsuden (Treasure Hall) - There you will find a great collection of documents, paintings, beautifully ornamented containers, and models of the old days Izumo Taisha shrine.

Path to Izumo Taisha - The distance between the first torii gate (Ichi-no-torii) and the second (Ni-no-torii) is 700 meters long. Along the way you will see many restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. My tip: Enjoy Izumo soba noodles with a sweet black soup which are very delicious.

Festival & Events (dates can change without notice)

May

Grand and Imperial Festival (14th - 16th)
The festival at Izumo Taisha lasts for three days and is the most important of the year. You will experience the target archery festival (Matobamatsuri), mounted archery ritual (Yabusame Shinji), and rice-planting dances.

November

Kamiari Festival (11th - 17th)
Each autumn, during this one week, worshippers from all over the country come to this place, but also eight million gods join this festival to watch over the lives of their followers. Everything starts with a welcome ceremony of the gods at the Inasa-no-Hama, one of Japan's 100 great beaches, near the shrine at 7:00 pm. Not every ceremony and ritual is open to the public, but those seven days offer a really unique experience. In the region of Izumo, this month is celebrated as Kamiarizuki, or the Month with Gods.