Among the tens of thousands of shrines found everywhere across Japan, the Izumo Grand Shrine or Izumo Taisha (出雲大社) holds the distinction of being the most ancient, having been first mentioned in written records as early as the 8th century. Today, it remains one of the most significant shrines in the country.
Izumo Grand Shrine is located in Izumo, the second largest city in Shimane Prefecture, reasonably near the prefectural capital Matsue, where we were staying. We could easily get there by taking the local Ichibata Electric Railway.
The line runs along the northern shore of Lake Shinji, so we enjoyed good views of the lake during the ride.
After getting off the train at the end of the line, we still had to walk for around ten minutes to the main entrance of the shrine, but the area, unlike many other smaller cities in Japan, was lively and had many businesses.
Many Japanese were visiting the shrine to pray. It is said that Izumo Grand Shrine provides blessings for matchmaking but since we were already married, we had no use for this. We just appreciated the peaceful atmosphere and harmonious integration with nature.
We wandered around the shrine grounds for a while longer until it was time for lunch. There were many restaurants to choose from along the road from the train station to the shrine. We found one that served Izumo soba, a local specialty food.
Later, after we had finished eating and browsing the souvenir shops, we prepared to go back but there was still some time to wait until the next train, so we looked around inside the old train preserved at the station, which was freely enterable. It had been manufactured in 1928 and continued to remain in use as late as the 1990s.
As the oldest and one of the most significant shrines in Japan, the Izumo Grand Shrine was certainly one of our favorite destinations due to its unique architecture and atmosphere. If you haven’t been successful in love, then perhaps a visit there could also turn your fortunes around.