Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine said to have been founded in 593 by Saeki no Kuramoto, and its enshrined deities are the three Munakata goddesses, daughters of Amaterasu. Since Miyajima was regarded as sacred in ancient times, building on land was considered awe-inspiring, so the current location—where the tide rises and falls—was chosen. Many of the shrine’s structures and works of art are designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
When Taira no Kiyomori was appointed to Aki Province, he revered Itsukushima Shrine as the guardian shrine of the Taira clan. As the power of the Taira grew, devotion to the shrine deepened. As a result, many members of the imperial family and aristocracy came to worship there, and this continued through later eras, drawing veneration from figures such as Ashikaga Takauji and Yoshimitsu, and from the Ōuchi and Mōri clans in the Sengoku period, down to the present. Worship at Itsukushima Shrine follows a designated route. The corridors built over the sea have gaps to relieve water pressure when the tide is high, so visitors wearing high heels should be careful. Access is a 10-minute ferry ride from JR Miyajimaguchi Station.