Itsukushima Shrine

Imagine you are floating on the gentle waves of a sparkling blue sea in a country called Japan. The sun warms your face, and in front of you, a giant gate of the brightest red-orange color seems to stand right on top of the water. Its color glows in the sunlight, welcoming you to a special island. As you get closer to shore, you might see friendly deer wandering around, waiting to say hello. I am that special place with the floating gate. I am the Itsukushima Shrine.

My story began a very, very long time ago. The first small shrine was built here way back in the year 593. For hundreds of years, I was a quiet, sacred place. Then, a powerful leader named Taira no Kiyomori came to my island. He thought this place was so special that he wanted to make me grander than ever before. In the year 1168, he rebuilt me into the beautiful shrine you can visit today. The whole island was considered holy, a gift from the gods. To keep it pure, Taira no Kiyomori had a clever idea. He said, “We must not build on the sacred ground.” So, he built me on strong stilts over the water. When the tide comes in, I look like I am floating on the sea. It was his way of honoring the island and making me a magical sight for everyone.

Being so close to the sea is wonderful, but it can also be challenging. Over hundreds of years, I have faced many big storms called typhoons. Their strong winds and high waves have tried to knock me down. Sometimes, parts of me have been damaged or washed away. But the people who love me have never let me disappear. After every storm, they have worked together to rebuild me carefully, making sure I always look just like I did in the 12th century. My famous Great Torii Gate, the one that stands in the water, was recently made strong and beautiful again. The hard work to fix it finished in December of 2022, so now it stands tall and proud for all to see.

Today, I am a happy place filled with visitors from all over the world. They come to watch the tide magically change the view, as the water pulls back to reveal the sandy ground beneath my stilts. People take pictures of my bright colors and say hello to my deer friends. When they walk through my halls, they feel a sense of peace and wonder. I am so glad I get to share my beauty and my long history, reminding everyone that nature is powerful and that it’s important to care for special places so they can last forever.