Izumo Shrine
- Japanese: 出雲大社 (Izumo taisha)
The Grand Shrine at Izumo is one of the oldest and most important shrines in the Shinto tradition, along with Ise Shrine. Located in Shimane prefecture, it is most strongly associated with the deity Ôkuninushi.
History
The shrine is mentioned in the Nihon shoki, as well as in the Izumo fudoki, the most complete of the surviving provincial fudoki "gazetteers" of the 8th century.
Layout
The main shrine is separated from the outside, secular/profane, world by three layers of fences, from the Wild Fence (Aragaki) which is the outermost, to the Pure Fence (Mizugaki), to the Jade Fence (Tamagaki), the innermost of the three. Entrance deeper into the shrine beyond the Jade Fence is restricted only to those closely associated with the shrine, or to those with special permission.[1]
The Main Hall of the shrine has been designated a National Treasure. It is periodically rebuilt, but always incorporates elements of the earlier structure, including the Uzu Pillar (Uzu-bashira)
A 22-meter tall torii gate at the shrine, erected in 1915, is one of the tallest in the country.[2]
