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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Chugoku - Matsue
Izumo Taisha (Izumo Grand Shrine) 
# 1   of 5 most visited
sights in Matsue

jump to:   access  -  admission  -  ratings  -  links

Izumo Taisha is Japan's oldest shrine, constructed in a purely Japanese architecture style, called Taisha-tsukuri. The annual gathering place of Shinto's eight million kami ("Shinto gods"), Izumo Taisha is considered Japan's second most important shrine after Ise Jingu.

Izumo Taisha is dedicated to Okuninushi no Mikoto, the nephew of the Sun Goddess. Because Okuninushi is the kami of marriage, visitors clap their hands four times instead of just twice during their prayers, twice for oneself and twice for one's actual or desired partner.

Construction Notice: Major renovation works have been carried out on the shrine's main hall for several years during which the hall was hidden by a large scaffolding structure. In the meantime, the main hall is uncovered again, and the renovations are scheduled to be fully completed by May 2013.

Any Questions? Ask them in our question forum.

How to get there
Izumo Taisha is located in the outskirts of Izumo City, about one hour west of Matsue. Izumo's main railway station is called Izumoshi Station.

From Izumoshi Station

From the railway station, Izumo Taisha can be reached by either train or bus.

By Ichibata Railways, the shrine can be reached in about 20 minutes and for 480 yen. A transfer of trains is required at Kawato Station. The shrine is a five minute walk from the terminal station, Izumo Taisha-mae Station.

Buses depart from bus stop number one in front of Izumoshi Station roughly every 30 minutes. The bus ride to the shrine takes about 25 minutes and costs 510 yen one way.

From Matsue

From Matsue, Izumo Taisha is most easily reached by Ichibata Railways:

Trains leave from Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station and require about one hour to reach the shrine. One transfer of trains is required at Kawato Station. The one way fare is 790 yen. A one day pass for unlimited usage of Ichibata trains for 1500 yen comes slightly cheaper than two one way tickets.

An alternative route would be taking a JR train from Matsue to Izumoshi Station (25-40 minutes) and proceed to the shrine from there (see details above). This option is somewhat cheaper for Japan Rail Pass holders.

How to get to and around Matsue and Izumo

Google Map

Hours and Fees
Hours:Always open
Closed:No closing days
Admission:Free

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User Ratings
Ratings for Izumo Taisha:
japan-guide.com Rating:
  best of Japan  
User Rating (by 90 users):
90/100
  highly recommended

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Japanese Links
Izumo Taisha
Official website.

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