Izumo no okuni was the daughter of a blacksmith who started out as a miko (shrine maiden) at Izumo Shrine. She was known for her beauty and her skill at performing sacred dance (kagura). She was therefore chosen … Read the rest
Category: Izumo (Page 6 of 6)
Honeymoon period
On my recent visit to Izumo, where the kami of Japan are presently gathered, I took the opportunity to make a literary pilgrimage to the home of Lafcadio Hearn. Though not well-known abroad, he is treasured in Japan … Read the rest
Kami visitors
The best time to visit Izumo is when all the kami of Japan go. That’s in the tenth month of the old lunar calendar (the dates vary in the modern calendar but are around this time of … Read the rest
When you approach Izumo Shrine these days, it’s along a busy road and past humdrum buildings. Once, however, the approach must have been breathtaking. Nestled against tree-covered slopes, there stood an enormous shrine whose dimensions dwarfed its surrounds.
Today the … Read the rest
Foundation
Izumo Taisha is more than a shrine. It’s a legend, a symbol, a reminder of a once glorious past. It’s the country’s foremost shrine for enmusubi (love connections). It’s got the biggest honden (inner sanctuary) in Japan, and the … Read the rest
Some of my favourite places are those enriched by myth, but which have escaped untouched from the ravages of modern life. Take the west of England, with its Arthurian tales, Somerset legends and Glastonbury mystique. Here in Japan the … Read the rest
It might seem an impossibility to see all eight myriad of Japan’s kami in one single place. But every year there is an opportunity to do just that, in one of Japan’s most attractive regions. It takes place in Shimane … Read the rest