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Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima, Japan
Itsukushima is a Shinto shrine on the island of
Itsukushima (popularly known as
Miyajima) in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The
shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of
Susano-o no
Mikoto, Shinto deity of seas and storms and brother of the great sun
deity,
Amaterasu (deity of the Imperial Household). In order to allow
pilgrims to approach, the shrine was built like a pier over the water, so
that it appeared to float, separate from the land. The shrine's
signature red entrance gate, or
torii,
was built over the water for much the same reason. The shrine complex is
listed as a
UNESCO
World Heritage Site . |