Visited in person · Original photography
Origins and founding
In the 9th century, it is said to have received the deity of Iwashimizu Hachimangu by order of Emperor Uda. It became a centre of Hachiman worship in Shimosa.
What to see
The Sembon Ginkgo, a National Natural Monument. It is said to be 1,200 years old, with many trunks rising from its base / the Zuishinmon gate, originally the Nio gate of the shrine's former Buddhist temple. The building still carries the mark of the separation of Shinto and Buddhism.
The Sembon Ginkgo, a National Natural Monument. The tree is said to be 1,200 years old. Its leaves turn gold.
The bell tower, surrounded by autumn foliage.
The auxiliary Itsukushima shrine. A small vermilion drum bridge crosses to it.
The torii of the auxiliary Katsushika Tenmangu.
Cultural context
The tree is older than the shrine buildings (→ article Torii gates and shrine grounds). The Zuishinmon was the Nio gate of Hosenji, the temple that managed the shrine, until the Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism; after the separation it became a Shinto gate.