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Sumiyoshi Taisha

Sumiyoshi Taisha is the head shrine of all Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan and gives its name to the Sumiyoshi-zukuri architectural style. Its honden is designated a National Treasure as the oldest surviving example of this style. The complex has four main shrines (hongū), each dedicated to a different deity, along with subsidiary shrines such as Ō-umi-jinja, Wakamiya Hachimangū, Shiga-jinja and Funetama-jinja. Notable features include the arched bridge (taikobashi), the Ishibutai stage, the Kaguraden hall, and the Kakutorii stone torii gate, whose central crossbeam does not project beyond the uprights and whose components have square edges. The shrine is surrounded by a forest with sacred trees over a thousand years old. Locals call it Sumiyoshi-san or Sumiyossan and come in large numbers for hatsumōde at New Year, with more than two million visitors. Its history is linked to Yamato diplomacy and the Silk Road, since it protected imperial embassies to China, and the nearby port of Suminoe no Tsu, the oldest in Japan, was the gateway to the Silk Road. The main festival is the Sumiyoshi-sai, held between 31 July and 1 August.

Things to do at Sumiyoshi Taisha: 12 missions

• See the First Main ShrineView the First Main Shrine, dedicated to Sokotsutsu no Onomikoto.
• See the Fourth Main ShrineView the Fourth Main Shrine, dedicated to Okinagatarashihime no Mikoto.
• See the Third Main ShrineView the Third Main Shrine, dedicated to Uwatsutsu no Onomikoto.
• View the hondenView the honden, built in the Sumiyoshi-zukuri style and designated a national treasure.
• Visit Funetama-jinjaVisit this shrine dedicated to Ametorifune no Mikoto within Sumiyoshi Taisha.
• See the Second Main ShrineView the Second Main Shrine, dedicated to Nakatsutsu no Onomikoto.
• Explore the KaguradenExplore the Kaguraden, one of the highlights within Sumiyoshi Taisha.
• See Ō-umi-jinjaView Ō-umi-jinja, dedicated to Toyotamahiko no Mikoto and Toyotamahime no Mikoto.
• See Wakamiya HachimangūView Wakamiya Hachimangū, dedicated to Emperor Ōjin, deified as Hachiman.
• See the IshibutaiSee the Ishibutai, one of the highlights within Sumiyoshi Taisha.
• Cross the shrine bridgeCross the shrine bridge, one of the highlights within Sumiyoshi Taisha.
• See Shiga-jinjaView Shiga-jinja, dedicated to Watatsumi.

Near Sumiyoshi Taisha

Source: sumiyoshitaisha.net