Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine (God of Matchmaking En-musubi & Giant Shimenawa Sacred Rope)

Category: Ancient Imperial Grand Shrine & Shinto Mitology Epicenter | Location: Shimane

Rooted in the foundational mythology documented in the 8th-century chronicles *Kojiki* and *Nihon Shoki*, Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine in Shimane Prefecture is one of the oldest, most venerated, and structurally monumental Shinto sanctuaries in Japan. It is dedicated to Okuninushi no Okami, ruler of the unseen spiritual world and deity of relationships and marriage (*En-musubi*). According to legend, Okuninushi yielded sovereignty over Japan to the imperial descendants of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu in exchange for a palatial skyward shrine. Every 10th month of the lunar calendar (typically November), while all other provinces observe *Kannazuki* (the Month Without Gods), Izumo celebrates *Kamiarizuki* (the Month With Gods) as eight million Shinto deities (*Yaoyorozu no Kami*) gather here to deliberate human destinies and life unions. The current 24-meter-tall Main Sanctuary (*Honden*), designated a National Treasure of Japan, represents the pinnacle of *Taisha-zukuri*—the nation's oldest indigenous shrine architectural style. Archaeological excavations in the year 2000 uncovered colossal bundled cedar column bases (*Uzugabashira*), proving that in the 10th century Heian era, the sanctuary soared an astonishing 48 meters into the clouds on elevated stilts. At the adjacent Kaguraden ritual hall hangs the shrine's most awe-inspiring visual signature: **Japan's Largest Shimenawa**, a mammoth sacred twisted straw rope measuring 13.6 meters long, up to 8 meters in circumference, and weighing a staggering 5.2 tons, meticulously hand-woven from specially cultivated rice straw by artisans in Iinan town. Worship at Izumo Taisha observes a sacred ritual distinct from all other Japanese shrines: worshippers perform two deep bows, **four claps**, and one final bow (*Ni-rei, Yon-hai, Ichi-rei*), with the four claps symbolizing prayers for oneself, one's cherished companion, and communion with deities and surrounding kindred spirits. Outside the torii gates along the atmospheric Shinmon-dori approach, travelers relish local culinary heritage by tasting authentic Izumo Soba served in iconic three-tiered round vermilion lacquer containers (*Warigo Soba*) bathed in rich dashi broth, and browse artisan boutiques fashioning comma-shaped sacred green agate amulets (*Magatama*) quarried nearby since antiquity.