Page 231 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Japan

Must See

1 The Otorii’s four­legged
(yo-tsuashi) construction
grants it stability.
2 On a bluff overlooking the
Itsukushima Shrine is the
Goju­no­to, a five­story
pagoda built in 1407.
3 Komainu, or “lion­dogs,”
often guard the entrance or
1 honden of Shinto shrines.

Did You Know?

To maintain the
island’s sacredness,
no births or burials are
permitted here.

2 3

Daisho-in Temple is a
delightful complex with
an eclectic mix of
Buddhist statuary. It is
blissfully peaceful,
The Treasure House, completed away from the crowds
in 1934, houses a valuable of the waterfront and
collection of gifts presented to Itsukushima Shrine.
the Itsukushima Shrine by the
Taira clan and other patrons
over the centuries.

Two-story PICTURE PERFECT
Tahoto Pagoda Tidal Pull
The best time to take a
Housed in a beautiful mid-19th- photograph of the great
century mansion, the Municipal torii of Miyajima is at
History and Folklore Museum high tide, when the gate
houses a collection of artworks, appears to float above
house hold utensils, and furniture.
the waves. At low tide,
you can walk to the foot
of the Otorii, which is
said to mark the boun­
The area around Itsukushima dary between the spirit
Shrine, with its famous and the human worlds.
floating Otorii
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