On the way back from my nephew's wedding ceremony, we dropped in at Itsukushima Shrine. Shrines are dedicated to the deities of Shinto, Japan's ancient religion. It's said that Japan has around 80,000 shrines. People visit shrines on important occasions to make wishes and to offer thanks. Shrines take various forms in different locations, and they are home to many different deities.
Itsukushima Shrine stands on a small island and the island on which it's located is known as one of the three most beautiful scenic spots in Japan. This shrine is built out over the sea, and the gods of the sea are the object of worship. When we visited, the tide was low and people were walking on the sacred grounds, as you can see in the following pictures.
The large, red and wooden structure in the picture is called "Torii", which is the gate of the shrine. Once you pass under this gate, the torii, you are in a sacred realm.
By the way, do you know why the torii was built in the sea? In ancient days, Itsukushima Shrine was designed combined with the island and the whole island was thought to be sacred. The torii was the gate of the island as seen from the mainland. In the old days, people reached the shrine by boat.
Beautifully written! Also, a great photo, thank you for sharing. It brings
back very fond memories.
Posted by: Jennie | May 29, 2014 at 05:37 PM