Itsuku-shima-jinja Shrine厳島神社

A World Cultural Heritage Site. The shrine that stands in the sea is a renowned tourist attraction.

Itsuku-shima-jinja Shrine, located in Miyajima, Hatsukaichi City in southwestern Hiroshima, is a unique shrine that looks as if it is floating in the sea. It boasts of a solemn and gorgeous architectural beauty in the shinden-style, the palace style popular around the 10th century. The main shrine with its red pillars and white walls, along with the symbol of Miyajima, the O-torii Gate in the sea, create a wonderful contrast with the dark green woods and deep blue sea. It was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1996.

Most of the main shrine, a National Treasure, was built in the 12th century. Twenty-one buildings are laid out around the main sanctuary, with a Noh stage and other special structures situated among them. All buildings are connected with corridors painted in red that extend to encircle the main sanctuary. The combined length of the corridors is 300 meters. The layout was cleverly designed to make the shrine look like a bird stretching its wings when viewed from the opposite shore.

The O-torii Gate is usually half submerged in the sea, but you can walk to it from the seashore at low tide. In the neighboring areas, you will find the Senjokaku Hall that had been left incomplete and abandoned, and a 27-meter-tall, five-story red pagoda. They are also designated as important cultural properties.