Oldest Shinto Shrine in Japan

Izumo Taisha (出雲大社, Izumo Taisha , also called as Izumo Ōyashiro) is one of the most ancient and important of the Shinto shrines in Japan. Its name means “The Grand Shrine of Izumo.”


Located in Located in Taisha, Shimane Prefecture



*Hosts two major festivals: Imperial Festival and Grand Festival
*Dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi-no-mikoto, deity of marriage
*Features Taisha-zukuri, a unique style of architecture
* The main hall of Izumo Taisha and the attached buildings are National Treasures of Japan

IZUMO, Japan — With the longtime occupant safely moved out of the main building and ensconced in temporary housing, long-needed renovations could begin here at Izumo Taisha, one of Japan’s oldest and most famous Shinto shrines.

But not before a once-in-a-lifetime open house of sorts was held. For the first time in six decades, Izumo’s main shrine — the house of a Shinto god who, wrapped in a piece of cloth, was moved to a temporary shrine in April — was opened to the general public.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have journeyed to this remote corner of western Japan to peek into the main shrine, as well as into the inner workings of a religion that, despite its ties to Japan’s founding myths, remains a mystery to many Japanese.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/asia/27izumo.html?pagewanted=1
**Note: story was in 2008, but its still a fascinating read. Tanoshin de kudasai..enjoy!