Where God & Humans Coexist

Mysterious shrine looming in the dark

Takako Sakamoto Oct 27, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>The evening lanterns are lit up and deep silence permeates the entire area</p>

<p>My boat passing through the torii gate which towers over it as we get closer</p>

<p>The magical view of 'Ugakubo (Right Side Music Hall)' and 'Open Stage'</p>

<p>Right and Left Side Music Halls and Open Stage; what a mysterious view!</p>

<p>The signage hanging from the torii gate was written by Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, and the Chinese characters seen from the shrine side are written in the old style (伊都岐島神社)</p>

<p>This torii gate is one of the 'Three Major Torii Gates of Japan', which is the eighth torii gate since the original was built in the Heian Period by Taira-no Kiyomori</p>

<p>The signage seen from the sea is written '嚴嶋神社', which is different from the signage on the opposite side. The other two of Japan's major torii gates are at Kasuga Taisha and at Kehi Jingu Shrine</p>

<p>The main pillars are made of natural camphor, and the side pillars are made of cedar</p>

Miyajima Island in Aki (Aki-no Miyajima) is a sacred island which is represented by Itsukushima Shrine.

On July 26th this year, after taking photos of the sunset in sweltering heat, I waited for the dark night to arrive. Little by little tourists went back to their hotels and silence enveloped the beach that had been bustling with crowds just a while ago. The tide came in, and a quarter of the big torii pillars was underwater, along with the shrine buildings that were submerged up to the floors. This mysterious landscape was designed to create one magnificent garden, with the shrine buildings floating in the vast Seto Inland Sea as a garden pond.

To me, it seemed like gods were residing on this sacred island, and we, humans, should not violate it.

Sublime Shrine Floating in the Sea 1. Miyajima: God's Island 2. Sunset Road On The Sea 3. Where God & Humans Coexist

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...