Most viewed - Izumo 出雲市 |
Izumo Taisha's Kaguraden with the iconic giant shimenawa sacred rope weighing 5 tons. Built in 1981. 神楽殿と注連縄316 views
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Izumo Taisha's Honden built in the Taisha-zukuri style. National Treasure. 本殿256 views
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Giant torii as it looked years ago, minus the new paint job.188 views
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Haiden and Honden behind it.164 views
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Haiden and shimenawa sacred rope 拝殿. The Haiden was built in 1959 after the original building was destroyed by fire in 1953.151 views
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Izumo, Shimane manhole. Shows Hinomisaki lighthouse.151 views
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Izumo Taisha ema prayer tablet for the Year of the Dog.138 views
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Without the tents.129 views
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Izumo Taisha's Haiden worship hall where you can hold prayers and other ceremonies like in a church. Rebuilt in 1959 after the previous one was lost in a fire in 1953. 拝殿126 views
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Sando path to the shrine. 参道125 views
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Omikuji charms.121 views
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Second torii to Izumo Taisha.120 views
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Lots of people took selfies here in front of the torii and big stone pillar engraved with "IZUMO TAISHA." For Instagram of course.120 views
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Lots of people took selfies here in front of the torii and big stone pillar engraved with "IZUMO TAISHA." For Instagram of course.118 views
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Giant shimenawa straw rope of Izumo Taisha Shrine's Kaguraden, the largest sacred rope in Japan. Weighs 5 tons.114 views
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Izumo Hinosaki Lighthouse 出雲日御碕燈台113 viewsWent there by bicycle.
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This center path is reserved for the gods visiting Izumo Taisha. Humans have to walk on the side paths to the shrine. 参道113 views
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113 views
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Izumo Taisha's Honden, a National Treasure. The V-shaped roof ornaments (chigi), an unmistakable trademark of Shinto, also look slightly different from other shrine architectural styles.112 views
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Taisha Station, closed in 1990 and preserved as an Important Cultural Property. 大社駅111 views
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JR Izumo-shi Station in the 1990s.110 views
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Tachikue Gorge 立久恵峡108 views
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On New Year's Day 2018, many people visit Izumo Taisha Shrine by car. Lots of parking was provided, but I always saw the "Full" sign.108 views
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Map of Izumo Taisha's central buildings centering on the Honden.88 views
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Honden (largest and tallest structure) flanked on both sides by smaller shrines.86 views
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Photo of the Izumo Taisha Honden. Built in the Taisha-zukuri style. National Treasure. 本殿86 views
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85 views
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84 views
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84 views
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83 views
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It is unknown exactly what Izumo Taisha's Honden Hall looked like during the 13th century Kamakura Period. Based on the evidence they could find, five researchers built their own scale models of what they thought the Honden Hall looked like.83 views
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Izumo Taisha's Honden built in the Taisha-zukuri style as seen from the left corner. National Treasure. 本殿82 views
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Old tsuzumi shoulder drum and koto.82 views
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Closeup of bronze bell design.82 views
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The large roof of the Honden Hall (god's residence) can be seen in the center.81 views
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81 views
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Izumo Taisha's Kaguraden.81 views
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Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2018.81 views
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Haniwa figures81 views
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81 views
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Retro style building on the way to the shrine.80 views
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Back of Izumo Taisha's Honden in the Taisha-zukuri style. National Treasure. 本殿80 views
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Rear side view of the Amasaki-no-Yashiro, Mimukai-no-Yashiro, and Honden shrines. 東端垣から天前社・御向社・本殿を望む80 views
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Izumo Taisha has many smaller shrines surrounding it. 80 views
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Entrance to Izumo Taisha's Kaguraden.80 views
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Pottery kiln80 views
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80 views
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Map of Izumo Taisha Shrine. Not as huge as Ise Jingu, but large enough.79 views
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Fence surrounding the Honden.79 views
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Taisha-zukuri architecture.79 views
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79 views
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Izumo Taisha ema prayer tablet for a good marriage.79 views
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79 views
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Small dishes for a sip of sake if you give a small donation. They also had this in front of the Honden. 79 views
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The museum's centerpiece exhibit is this scale model of Izumo Taisha's Honden Hall from the 10th-century Heian Period. 79 views
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High wooden pillars supporting the Honden Hall so that it is closer to the gods.79 views
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Rear view of the shrine scale models.79 views
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Iwami kagura dance costumes79 views
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About the Izumo no Okuni dancer. Quite a mysterious historical figure.79 views
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Third torii made of copper and the Haiden. 碧銅の鳥居と拝殿78 views
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The Honden is flanked on both sides by smaller shrines.78 views
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Smaller shrine. 氏社78 views
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Shokokan, a museum of dolls. Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. 彰古館78 views
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East Jukusha Shrines where the millions of visiting gods lodge during the Kami-ari-zuki festival in autumn. There's also a twin building on the west side. 十九社 八百萬神78 views
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Near the gate to the Honden are souvenir tents during New Year's.78 views
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Izumo Taisha's Kaguraden.78 views
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Small pond next to the Kaguraden.78 views
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Souvenir shop selling all kinds of Izumo Taisha goods.78 views
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78 views
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Little priests going up the many stairs.78 views
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78 views
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Pottery78 views
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78 views
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78 views
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Izumo Taisha Shrine is one of Japan's Top Three most famous and important Shinto shrines. Historically, it may be Japan's oldest shrine. The Honden hall is a National Treasure.77 viewsIzumo Taisha Shrine's first torii called Otorii (Giant Torii). I visited Izumo Taisha on New Year's Day Jan. 1, 2018. 大鳥居
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This is the second and most popular torii at Izumo Taisha. With the big stone pillar engraved with "IZUMO TAISHA."77 views
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Back of Izumo Taisha's Honden in the Taisha-zukuri style. National Treasure. Rabbits or hares look on too. 本殿77 views
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Soga Shrine, a smaller shrine behind the Honden. 素鵞(そが)社本殿77 views
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77 views
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Lots of construction going on in jan. 2018.77 views
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West Jukusha Shrines where visiting gods lodge during the Kami-ari-zuki festival. There's also a twin building on the east side. 十九社 八百萬神77 views
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Way to the Kaguraden Sacred Dance Hall.77 views
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Rear side of the giant shimenawa straw rope.77 views
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Under the giant shimenawa straw rope.77 views
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New Year's77 views
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Souvenir shop selling all kinds of Izumo Taisha goods.77 views
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Shimane's official tourism mascot named "Shimanekko," a yellow cat with a shrine roof cap. しまねっこ77 views
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Within the shrine grounds is the very impressive Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo. (島根県立古代出雲歴史博物館)77 views
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77 views
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The elevated shrine supposed to make it closer to gods.77 views
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77 views
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On New Year's Day 2018, cars and people crowd the road to the shrine.76 views
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Izumo Taisha's Haiden worship hall.76 views
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Back of Haiden.76 views
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76 views
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You can walk completely around the main shrine buildings outside the fence at Izumo Taisha.76 views
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Rabbits or hares at Izumo Taisha, symbol of fertility and marriage.76 views
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76 views
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Closeup of the giant shimenawa straw rope.76 views
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Local manga figure based on the Izumo no Okuni dancer. She was from Izumo and originated kabuki in the early 17th century. 出雲阿国76 views
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New Year's kadomatsu at Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo. 76 views
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76 views
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People believe that the original shrine was on high pillars accessible by this long, sloping wooden steps. Really awesome.76 views
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Wonder how resistant this was to typhoons and earthquakes.76 views
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Rear view of the shrine scale models.76 views
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Boat76 views
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Other museum exhibits included many different ancient artifacts like dotaku bronze bells that are all National Treasures.76 views
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76 views
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Statue of Izumo no Okuni dancer near the first Otorii gate.76 views
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Omikuji charms.75 views
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Kaguraden Hall (for sacred dances) is famous for its gigantic straw rope. It looked pretty faded and I was told that it will be replaced in 2018. They replace it once every 7 years or so.75 views
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Kaguraden entrance area75 views
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75 views
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Souvenir shop selling all kinds of Izumo Taisha goods.75 views
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Very impressive model of the shrine.75 views
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75 views
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Iwami kagura dance masks75 views
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Closest train station to Izumo Taisha Shrine is Izumo Taisha-mae Station on the Ichibata Taisha Line. There are also buses running from Izumo-shi Station. 出雲大社前駅74 views
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74 views
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Kaguraden Sacred Dance Hall 74 views
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Lawn outside Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo. 74 views
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Remains of the giant pillars of the ancient Izumo Taisha.74 views
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The five models look quite different although they are in agreement on some things like the number of pillars supporting the Honden. 74 views
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These two models are similar to the large model.74 views
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Models of the different shrine building architencture in Japan.74 views
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74 views
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Sign reads, "Izumo Taisha" (出雲大社). The shrine's officially named "Izumo Oyashiro" written with the same kanji.73 viewsIzumo Taisha worships Okuninushi (大国主大神), the Shinto god of marriage and Kotoamatsukami, the very first Shinto gods born in heaven even before Japan was created.
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Torii pillar73 views
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Sign says we are not to walk along center path in order to protect the roots of the pine trees. I'm also told that this center path is reserved for the gods visiting the shrine..73 views
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Shrine library built in 1667 and moved here in 1914. 文庫73 views
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73 views
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Shrine priests praying in front of the Honden on New Year's Day 2018.73 views
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Dotaku bronze bells that are all National Treasures in Shimane.73 views
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73 views
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Iwami kagura dance masks73 views
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About the Otorii.72 views
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Inside Izumo Taisha-mae Station on the Ichibata Taisha Line. Opened in 1930, now a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.72 views
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Izumo Taisha-mae Station trains. If you're staying near Izumo-shi Station, taking a bus is more convenient.72 views
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Soga Shrine, a smaller shrine behind the Honden. 素鵞(そが)社本殿72 views
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Izumo Taisha ema prayer tablets.72 views
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72 views
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72 views
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Approaching the third torii.71 views
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Gate to the Honden, the god's residence.71 views
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About the shrine library. Mito Komon once donated books to this library.71 views
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New shrine office under construction.71 views
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71 views
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Lots of people took selfies here in front of the torii and "IZUMO TAISHA." For Instagram of course.70 views
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Sando path to the shrine. 参道70 views
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Water basin 手水舎70 views
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Water basin 手水舎 I got there at around 8:30 am and it wasn't so crowded. Of course, there were people, but there was no problem walking to the shrine. 70 viewsNo stopping like at other famous shrines like Ise Jingu and Meiji Shrine on New Year's Day. Izumo Taisha was sparse in comparison.
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70 views
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Izumo Taisha's Haiden worship hall's shimenawa sacred rope.69 views
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Gate to the Izumo Taisha Honden, the god's residence.69 views
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Emblem on the gate.69 views
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Inside Izumo Taisha-mae Station.68 views
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The Sando path to the shrine is actually in the center toward the left of the photo. But they have blocked off the center path to protect the roots of the pine trees. Now thay have made concrete sidewalks outside the center path.68 views
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Shimenawa sacred rope 67 views
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Barrels of sake decorating the perimeter near the gate to the Honden.67 views
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Carvings on the Gate to the Izumo Taisha Honden. 67 views
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Gate to the Izumo Taisha Honden. Photography was not permitted beyond this gate. It was just a small deck with an offertory box in front of the Honden's Romon Gate. They also sold small dishes of sake.66 views
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Second torii looking toward the exit.65 views
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65 views
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