Izumo Taisha

Izumo Taisha, the Grand Shrine of Izumo, is one of the oldest and most revered Shinto shrines in all of Japan, and arguably the spiritual heart of the entire San'in region. Its origins reach back beyond recorded history into the age of myth: it appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the eighth-century chronicles that form the foundation of Japanese mythology, and it is dedicated to Okuninushi-no-Okami, the deity who, according to legend, created and ruled the land before ceding it to the sun goddess's descendants in exchange for this magnificent shrine. Okuninushi is worshipped above all as the god of en-musubi — the tying of bonds — which has made Izumo Taisha the country's foremost destination for those praying for love, marriage and good relationships of every kind.

The shrine occupies a special place in the Shinto calendar. Across most of Japan the tenth month of the old lunar calendar is called Kannazuki, the "month without gods," because all eight million deities are believed to leave their local shrines and travel to Izumo for a great annual conference. Here, and only here, the same month is called Kamiarizuki, the "month with gods," and elaborate rituals welcome the assembled deities, who are said to spend their gathering discussing, among other things, the matches and marriages of the coming year.

Visitors approach along a rare downward-sloping pine avenue before reaching the main precinct. The most striking sight is the colossal shimenawa, the twisted rice-straw rope that hangs over the Kagura hall — one of the largest in Japan, several metres long and weighing several tonnes. Its sheer scale, along with the massive scale of the architecture, hints at ancient records claiming the original main hall stood on towering pillars far higher than the present building; the discovery of enormous bundled foundation columns on the site lends the legend surprising credibility. The current honden, rebuilt in 1744 and periodically renewed, is a National Treasure built in the archaic taisha-zukuri style that originated in this region.

Worship at Izumo follows its own distinctive etiquette: instead of the usual two claps, worshippers bow twice, clap four times and bow once more, the extra claps offered on behalf of a hoped-for partner. Around the main hall stand smaller shrines, including buildings said to house the visiting gods during their October gathering, and the adjacent Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo displays treasures excavated nearby.

The approach town of Kizuki is lively with shops selling the local specialty, Izumo soba — buckwheat noodles served in stacked round lacquer dishes — along with sweets, charms and matchmaking talismans. A short distance away lie Inasa Beach, where the gods are said to arrive from across the sea, and the dramatic Hinomisaki coast.

Allow at least ninety minutes to walk the approach, pray at the main hall, admire the great rope and explore the sub-shrines. Whether you come as a pilgrim hoping to tie a bond of your own or simply as a traveller drawn to one of the most ancient and atmospheric sacred sites in the country, Izumo Taisha is an unmissable centrepiece of any journey through Shimane.