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    ZUMO: THE OLDEST SHRINE:

    zumo Shrine Entrance with torii and view ofhaiden.

    zumo Shrine 1 (photo credit)

    The Izumo Shrine, located in the town of Taisha onthe northwest coast facing Korea, is believed to bethe oldest shrine in Japan. TheKojiki in the 8thcentury describes the mythic origins of the shrine in

    the story of its chiefkami, Okuninushi no Mikoto(also Onamochi). In this myth, Okuninushi noMikoto is developing the world of mortal man whenNinigi no Mikoto (grandson of the sun goddessAmaterasu Omikami) descends to earth. Okuninushino Mikoto gives over temporal rule of the land toNinigi no Mikoto in exchange for control over divineaffairs. The sun goddess was so pleased by this gift toher grandson that she had a shrine erected forOkuninshi no Mikoto on the Izumo site. He istraditionally regarded as the god of marriage, good

    fortune, and agriculture.

    Some scholars have suggested that this myth mightrepresent a pre-historic territorial agreement betweenthe Yamato (Japanese) invaders and another racialgroup previously in control of this northern approachto Korea. The design of the present shrine may dateback to the first century. It has been periodicallyrebuilt. The last honden built in 1744 is the twenty-fifth building since the original.

    One of the main festivals held at Izumo Shrine isKamiari Matsuri (the gods being present) inOctober. It is believed that at this time godsthroughout Japan come to Izumo to discuss theirrespective kingdoms. For this reason one ancientname for October in many parts of Japan isKanazuki,month without gods. During this festivalsmall box-shaped housed are placed in the shrineprecincts to house the visiting gods.

    The architectural style, taisha-zukuri, provides a

    different style from the the flat roof and almostsquare shape of the Ise Shrine. The Izumo Shrine iscomposed with two levels of roof curves and a longnarrow hall (seephoto 3). During theNara period,when Buddhism was popularized, changes weremade to the design of Izumo Shrine. The roof wasmade curved and the Chinese style gable-end boardsand ridge-end ornament were added to the original

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    zumo Shrine 2 (photo credit)

    zumo Shrine 3 (photo credit)

    structure. Legend holds that the high-floor dwellingstyle of the Izumo Shrine is meant to resemble theshape of the emperors palace. A central postprobably symbolizes the august central pillar, a

    pillar with which Izanagi and Izanam-I, the firstdeities of Japanese, stirred the ocean as they createdthe islands of Japan.

    Plan of Izumo Shrine (larger image)(photo)The residence of the kami is centrally located in the honden.Pilgrims do not worship within the kami sanctuary. The haiden,

    or worship hall, for this purpose is considered to be a lateraddition to the shrine.

    Izumo Taisha, Japan

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    A pilgrim praying at a Kami spirit dwelling, Izumo Taisha temple(Order Custom Fine Art Print)

    Situated at the foot of the sacred Yakumo and Kamiyama hills, the temple of Izumo Taisha is

    considered to be the oldest and most important Shinto shrine in all of Japan. The main shrine isdedicated to Okuninushi-no-kami, a Shinto deity. According to the Kojiki (the Legendary Stories of Oldapan) and the Nihon Shoki (the Chronicles of Japan), these being the two oldest books in Japan, the

    main shrine was the largest wooden structure in the country prior to 1200 AD. The height of the mainhrine was then about 50 meters, surpassing the 46 meter height of the Todaiji Temple in Nara (the

    argest wooden structure in the world today). Sometime around 1200, following one of the many fireshat ravaged the site, the main shrine was rebuilt to a height of 25 meters. The present main shrine

    dates from 1744. Legends relate that Okuninushi's father courted and married his mother at Izumo.Because of this divine marriage, the shrine has from ancient times been a special place for marriage for

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    he Japanese people. Okuninushi is also the deity who is traditionally credited with the introduction ofmedicine and the art of farming. Izumo Taisha hosts at least fifteen major festivals each year and thebeautiful complex of buildings nestled in a virgin forest is always bustling with pilgrims. The Novemberestival ofKamiarizuku, 'the time when the spirits gather' is described in detail in Chapter One of my

    book, Places of Peace and Power, included on this web site.

    Pilgrims awaiting Kami spirits at Kamiarizuku festival, Izumo Taisha, Japan.(Order Custom Fine Art Print)

    Shinto priests welcoming Kami spiritsat the Kamiarizuku festival, Izumo Taisha temple, Japan

    (Order Custom Fine Art Print)

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    Izumo Taisha

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    zumo Taisha (; also Izumo no yashiro) is one of the most ancient and important of theShinto shrines in Japan. Its name means "The Grand Shrine ofIzumo." No record gives the date ofstablishment. Located in Taisha, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicatedo the god kuninushi-no-mikoto.

    A style of architecture, Taisha-zukuri, takes its name from the main hall of Izumo Taisha. That hall, andhe attached buildings, areNational Treasures of Japan. According to tradition, the hall was previously

    much taller than it presently is. The recent discovery of the remains of enormous pillars has lentredence to this.

    Several other buildings in the shrine compound are on the list ofImportant Cultural Assets of Japan.

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    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Izumo-shrine_Haiden01.jpg
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    Visits of the Kamito the Izumo Shrine, Japan

    by Tom Bender

    Located near a small bay on the west side of Honshu Island across from Hiroshima is the Izumo Shrine, the most ancient Shinhrine in Japan. This shrine has been venerated continually for well over a thousand years. Every year in late fall the kami, orarth spirits, of Japan leave their normal homes throughout the country and gather for a week at the shrine. During this period,

    Shrine is also visited by thousands of pilgrims who have come to celebrate the arrival of the kami. This visit of the spirits even special name in the Japanese language - the period of the visit is known as kami-arizuke (period with the gods) at Izumo, an

    kannazuki(period without gods) in all other parts of Japan.

    At the time of their 1998 visit, we performed an experiment in remote dowsing to see if the visit caused any change in the chi

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Izumo-shrine_Haiden_Honden.jpg
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    nergy of the Shrines site. Dowsers Sig Lonegrin in Europe; Joey Korn and James Sullivan in North America; and Hitomi Horin eastern Japan dowsed a map of the shrine precincts before, during, and after the visit of the kami.

    All found a major change in the energy of the site during the visit, and a return to the earlier energy state after the departure ofpirits. One dowser registered confusion because his reading first showed an energy node at one shrine building, and recheckater, found it at a different building. A call to the Shrine produced a schedule of events during the week, which indicated that awelcoming ceremony had been held at the first building at the time of the first reading; and later the spirits moved to the seconuilding for another ceremony!

    n spite of the Westernization of Japan, the Japanese still acknowledge the existence of the kami and continue their annual viso the Shrine to honor them, as they have for probably more than a thousand years. The presence of the spirits is still perceptio visitors, and people gather from around the world to celebrate and honor them.

    Below: Honden, or main shrine building at Izumo Taisha,n ancient Shinto style.

    Below: Energy lines on site before and after kami visit.

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    Great Gate Izumo shrine

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    http://www.reggie.net/photo.php?albid=710&ph=3282810
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    Oracle Hall

    http://www.reggie.net/photo.php?albid=710&ph=3292913
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    Main shrine