Izumo Oyashiro (Izumo Grand Shrine)
The grand shrine of en-musubi, where the myriad gods of Japan gather.
History and Divine Virtue
An ancient shrine whose founding is recounted in the kuni-yuzuri (transfer of the land) myth of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Japan's oldest chronicles. Its deity, Okuninushi no Okami, is affectionately known as Daikoku-sama; after completing the building of the land, he is said to have become the god who presides over the unseen world. For this reason he is venerated across the country as the deity of en-musubi — the binding of ties that lie beyond human power. These ties are understood to encompass far more than romance: bonds between people, between a person and their work, connections of every kind. In the tenth month of the old lunar calendar, the myriad gods of all Japan are said to assemble at Izumo to weave these ties together; while the rest of the country calls this month Kannazuki, "the month without gods," in Izumo it is Kamiarizuki, "the month when the gods are present." The main sanctuary, a National Treasure, is the foremost example of the taisha-zukuri architectural style, and the great shimenawa (sacred straw rope) of the Kagura Hall, some thirteen meters long, ranks among the largest in Japan. Worship here traditionally follows a distinctive form: two bows, four claps, and one final bow.
Visiting Notes
- The rite of worship differs from the usual two bows, two claps, one bow: here it is two bows, four claps, one bow — observed at the auxiliary shrines within the grounds as well.
- The great shimenawa of the Kagura Hall is about thirteen meters long, known as one of the largest sacred straw ropes in Japan.
- During the Kamiari-sai festival in the tenth lunar month, the doors of the Jūkyūsha — the nineteen shrines within the grounds said to lodge the visiting gods — are opened.
- Behind the main sanctuary stands Soga no Yashiro, enshrining Susanoo no Mikoto, a spot that has drawn deep devotion since ancient times.
The word musubi, "binding," traces back to musuhi — the generative spirit-power of creation. The tie-binding of Okuninushi no Okami can be seen as that power made manifest, and this is the first shrine Musuhi Techo names as the wellspring of its own name.
Deities and Location
- Enshrined Deities
- Ōkuninushi no Ōkami
- Location
- 島根県出雲市大社町杵築東 (Shimane)
- Access
- Short walk from Izumo Taisha-mae Station on the Ichibata Electric Railway, or by bus from JR Izumoshi Station.
Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.
