Photos of Itsukushima Jinja

Itsukushima Shrine is a shrine located on Itsukushima Island in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It was founded around 593 and mainly dedicated to the three sea goddesses (the three goddesses of Munakata) in ancient Japanese legends. Itsukushima Shrine was built on the intertidal zone of the Seto Inland Sea. The large torii gate (Japanese-style archway) standing in the sea in front of the shrine is a well-known landmark in Itsukushima, known as one of the "Three Views of Japan". In addition to most of the architectural structures of Itsukushima Shrine designated as national treasures by the Japanese government, the shrine also houses many national treasure-level items, and in 1996, it was listed on the World Heritage List with the original forest area on Mount Mi behind the shrine. (The shrine is a world cultural heritage, while Misan is a world natural heritage).