World Heritage

Miyajima. Itsukushima Shrine

Outline

In December 1996 at UNESCO's 20th World Heritage Committee Convention in Merida, a wide area encompassing 14% of Miyajima island and including the Itsukushima Shrine was listed as a World Heritage site.

Designated Site
This is a wooded area of approximately 431.2 hectares that centers on the shrine pavilions of Itsukushima Shrine, is fronted by the sea and includes the Misen primeval forest (a natural treasure) in the background.

Miyajima where the goddesses reside

Itsukushima, on Miyajima, is a contraction of the name "Kami o itsuki matsuru shima" meaning "Dedicated to the goddesses." Since ancient times the entire island was revered as a goddess and it is still an island rich in natural beauty and legends. Misen, the highest peak on the island, is covered in primeval forest and the beautiful canyon located at the foot of this mountain attracts many visitors throughout the year. Further, as one part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park, in addition to being designated as a natural treasure, a special scenic area and a historical location, it is loved by many people for its abundance of scenic changes from the mountain to the sea. Together with Matsushima and Amano Hashidate, it is counted as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan.

Itsukushima Shrine

It is no exaggeration to say that history of Miyajima started with the history of Itsukushima Shrine. Originally people were not permitted to live on Miyajima, however in the middle ages people built houses there in order to serve the Itsukushima Shrine, and during the age of the civil wars people other than those related to the shrine began to live there. In the Edo era, with a large number of worshippers visiting, the island became bustling tourism location.

On the island it is said that the shrine pavilions standing in the sea were constructed during the reign of Empress Suiko (6-7 century). It was restored to its present splendor in the 12th century with additional shrine pavilions being constructed by Taira-no-Kiyomori in 1168. After that time, due to frequent fires, tidal surges, typhoons and mud slides it suffered various types of damage but each time it was restored under the aegis of the Kamakura shogunate or Muromachi shogunate. The presently existing main shrine was constructed by Mori Motonari in 1571. Located around the main shrine there are various other shrines such as the Marodo shrine, Kadomarodo shrine, Daikoku shrine and Tenjin shrine. These buildings are connected by other structures such as Asaza, Takabutai, Gakubo and Noh Butai. While almost all the shrine pavilions are vermilion, the existence of buildings of different colors is due to the era in which they were constructed. Further, through the connecting bridges, Naijihashi, Nagahashi and Soribashi a corridor running east west for a total of 300 meters has been formed.

Itsukushima shrine appears to be floating at high tide. The design that utilizes the rise and fall of the tides, being a wooden structure standing in the sea has resulted in a unique building unlike any other in the world. At the time it was listed as a World Heritage site, both the structure itself and the natural beauty were as a whole judged to be of great value. With Misen rising behind the shrine, the expanse of the Seto Inland Sea spread out at its front this splendid example of Heian Period architectural beauty provides visitors with a beautiful example of Heian culture.

Oo Torii (Grand Torii Gate)

The vermilion Oo Torii stands in stately grandeur in the sea with the Misen Mountain in the background. This gate was constructed with four support columns, two in front and back and the present gate, constructed in 1875, represents its eighth reincarnation since the Heian Period. It is built of natural Japanese cinnamon and is supported naturally by its own weight not being embedded in the sea floor. It is approximately 16 meters high, with a span of 22.3 meters and the base of the main two columns being 10 meters in circumference. The huge nameplate of Oo Torii is approximately 2.7 meters high and 1.8 meters wide and has inscribed on it "Itsukushima Shrine" on both the sea side and shrine side, however in different Chinese characters.

Surrounding landmarks and historic sites

Five-Story Pagoda
With a height of approximately 27.6 meters together with its cypress shingle roof, this five-story pagoda stands on the heights. Believed to have been constructed in 1407, the upper portions of the interior columns are covered in gold painted illustrations and the interior walls are covered with vibrantly colored Buddhist paintings. Skillfully blending Japanese and Chinese styles, this building shows us a magnificent example of this beautiful harmony.

Senjokaku Hall (Thousand Matt Hall of Hokoku Shrine)
Toyotomi Hideyoshi commenced construction on this building in 1587 as a place to perform Buddhist memorial rites. However he died 10 years after giving the order for its construction and to this date it remains uncompleted. On the beams wooden plates hang that were originally dedicated to the Itsukushima Shrine.

Momijidani Park
At the foot of Misen Mountain, as the name states in Japanese, this is a landmark for veiwing autumn leaves. Although it looks like a natural canyon, it was in fact manmade. As Itsukushima Shrine suffered from frequent landslides, at the time of its restoration the canyon was moved to its present location. The works were performed to make the canyon look as natural as possible.