Izumo Taisha

What it is: One of Japan's oldest and most important shrines, dedicated to Okuninushi, the god of good relationships and marriage. The Kaguraden hall has the giant straw shimenawa rope that most people come to see.
Getting there: From JR Izumoshi Station, buses run about every 30 minutes and take about half an hour (¥470–530 depending on the stop). Or take the Ichibata Railway, changing at Kawato, to Izumo Taisha-mae Station (about 20 minutes, ¥500), then walk five minutes.
Hours and admission: The grounds are always open and free. The Treasure Hall is open 8:30–16:30 (last entry 16:00), ¥300.
How to pray: Clap four times instead of the usual two.
Best time: In the tenth month of the old calendar, usually November, the gods of Japan are said to gather here (Kamiarizuki), and the Kamiari Festival is held.

A stone lantern with forested mountains behind — A stone lantern with the mountains behind the shrine.

In August 2010 I took the train across to Shimane to visit Izumo Taisha, one of the oldest and most important shrines in Japan. It is the shrine of Okuninushi, the god of good relationships and marriage, and in the tenth month of the old calendar (usually November now) the gods from all over Japan are said to gather here. In Izumo that month is called Kamiarizuki, the month with gods, while everywhere else it is the month without them.

The approach slopes down through pine trees to the main halls, and the famous straw shimenawa ropes are even bigger than they look in photos.

A stone torii and a tall stone pillar carved with 出雲大社 — The stone marker at the start of the approach.

Visitors walking under a stone torii — Through the torii and onto the approach.

A large wooden torii beside a street — One of the torii on the way in.

A wide gravel path sloping down through trees — The approach slopes down through the trees.

A path lined with old pine trees — Old pine trees line the path.

A long gravel avenue under pine trees — Looking along the pine avenue.

Bronze statues in a garden beside the path — A garden of statues beside the path.

A bronze statue of a figure reaching up towards a golden ball — Okuninushi, the god of the shrine, reaching up to a golden ball.

A dark bronze torii in front of the worship hall — The bronze torii in front of the worship hall.

The worship hall with a thick straw rope over the entrance — The worship hall, with its thick shimenawa rope.

Sweeping wooden roof lines of a shrine hall — The roof lines of the hall.

A bronze ox head close up — A bronze ox in its own little shelter.

Rows of wooden ema plaques — Wooden ema plaques covered in wishes.

A blue-green bronze horse statue behind a fence — And a bronze horse nearby.

Close up of the twisted straw shimenawa rope — Close up on the straw rope.

The tassels hanging from a straw rope — The rope is made from twisted rice straw.

The roofs of shrine buildings against the hills — The buildings around the main shrine.

A shrine hall with a straw rope across the front — Another hall with its own shimenawa.

An old wooden side shrine with carved panels — An older side shrine.

A gold crest carved on a wooden beam — A gold crest on the beam.

Rows of ema under tall trees — Rows of ema under the trees.

A long wooden corridor building beside a path — The long wooden buildings along the side of the grounds.

The Kaguraden hall with a giant straw rope across the front — The Kaguraden hall and its giant shimenawa, one of the largest in Japan.

One thing to know before you pray here: at Izumo Taisha you clap four times instead of the usual two. I also tried the local Izumo soba on this trip, and walked on to Inasa Beach afterwards, which is in the next post.

I took these photos in August 2010 and only got round to posting them in 2026.

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