Itsukushima-jinja Shrine

A gateway to the spirit

Photos: Kohichi Shintani

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Heading across the Seto Inland Sea on a ferry from Hiroshima, one suddenly glimpses a splash of bright red on the green forested island in the distance. Drawing closer, the patch of colour becomes a grand arch standing in the sea itself in front of the island. This is the famous torii gate to Itsukushima-jinja, a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (also known as Miyajima). At high tide, the base of the 16-metre wooden gate and the pier-like structures of the shrine are submerged, giving the impression of floating.

The shrine dates back to the sixth century but was built in its present form in 1168 using funding from warlord Taira no Kiyomori. Since then, the gate has been reconstructed 17 times, most recently in 1875. Historically, the island was considered sacred and commoners could only approach by boat through the gate. Nowadays, it is common to see people gathering shellfish at the foot of the gate during low tide. An official World Heritage Site since 1996, the magnificent shrine and its gateway is considered one of the top three views of Japan.