Asayama Shrine

Asayama Shrine sits on a wooded hilltop in the Asayama district south of central Izumo, reached by a cedar-shaded approach that climbs away from the fields of the plain. Though modest in scale, it holds a special rank in the mythology of Kamiarizuki, the Month of the Gods, for local tradition holds that when the eight million deities of Japan converge on Izumo each autumn, Asayama is the very first shrine at which they gather, before they proceed to the Grand Shrine of Izumo Taisha itself. For this reason its Kamiari rite is held earliest of all, and the shrine is quietly proud of being the opening scene of the great annual assembly.

The shrine enshrines a goddess remembered as a consort of Okuninushi, the ruling deity of Izumo, and the connection to that central figure of Izumo myth deepens the sense that this hill is bound up with the oldest layers of the region's sacred landscape. According to the tradition, Okuninushi himself is said to visit here, making the shrine a place associated with love, marriage and the bonds between people, in keeping with Izumo's wider reputation as the land where the gods tie the threads of human relationships.

The precinct rewards those who make the climb. Ancient cedars and a mossy stone stairway lead up to a weathered wooden hall in the local style, and from the heights there are open views across the surrounding valleys and rice fields. Away from any town, with only birdsong and the wind in the trees, the shrine has a genuinely secluded, contemplative air that many visitors find more moving than the busier sights nearer Izumo Taisha. Small auxiliary shrines and old stone monuments are scattered through the grounds, adding to the sense of a long-inhabited holy place.

Because it lies off the usual tourist track, Asayama sees few foreign visitors, and outside its festivals you may well have the hilltop to yourself. That solitude is part of its appeal: it is a shrine for travellers who want to feel the atmosphere of Izumo's myths in a quiet, unspoiled setting rather than among crowds. The visit is easy on the whole, needing only a short uphill walk and a flight of steps, and around forty minutes is enough to climb, pay respects and enjoy the view.

The most evocative time to come is the opening of the old-calendar Month of the Gods in autumn, when the shrine hosts the first Kamiari rite of the season; the cool clarity of autumn and the fresh green of spring both suit the hilltop well, and it can be visited comfortably year round. To reach it, take the JR San'in Line or Ichibata Railway to Izumoshi Station and then an Ichibata bus or taxi south toward Asayama, a ride of about twenty to twenty-five minutes, followed by a short walk up to the shrine. Standing on this peaceful summit, where the gods are said to assemble before all others, offers a rare and intimate way into the living mythology of Izumo.