Itsukushima Shrine

The image of the red crossed posts of the Itsukushima Shrine’s tori gate rising out of the water is an iconic Japanese postcard picture.

Located on the island of Itsukushima, a Shinto holy place, the main building of the shrine is also painted red and is built partly on stilts over the bay like a pier. The complex of 56 buildings is designed to show the contrast between the beauty of the scenery and the form and design of the architecture. First constructed in the 6th Century it has been in it’s current form since 1168. The gate dates from 1875.

It used to be that the island was too holy for regular people to walk on and you could only approach through the gate (in a boat.). At low tide you can now walk through it in the mud and look for crabs and shellfish but at high tide it appears to float on the lake. At night the gate and complex are lit up from the shore.