Ancient Japan Izumo

10/05/2026

May 16th: Izumo Yashiki Grand Gratitude Festival

The third day of celebrations starts at 9am.
The Izumo Yashiki Grand Gratitude Festival is a celebration to give thanks for the Izumo Yashiki ritual, a ceremony for purifying building sites and houses.
After the sand used for this festival is offered to the gods and purified, it is sent to each place which has been blessed by the Izumo Yashiki ritual. This is done each year to revive the ritual’s spiritual power.

Celebrations are held on the shrine grounds, with traditional guardian lion dances, “shishimai,” performed by Kutami Shrine Lion Dance Preservation Association, and Isedai Kagura performed by Ridayū Kimura Group.

03/05/2026

May 15th: Second Celebrations

On the 15th, the second day of celebrations starts at 9am.
An imperial procession of the divine palanquins (mikoshi) is held from noon. The palanquins are carried around by the Taisha area’s shrine parishioners, alongside a children’s parade.

Kagura dances are performed as offerings to the gods.

27/04/2026

May 14th: The Archery Festival – annual festival 🎯

From 9am, an archery ritual Matoisai is held at the Worship Hall (haiden). A Shinto priest shoots an evil-cleansing arrow from the Approach of the Pines, purifying the area before the celebrations start.

Then from 10am, the priests of Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine don special uniforms and form a procession to the Main Shrine (honden). These uniforms are worn only once a year, for this event. The priests come one after another to present various offerings to the gods. A prayer is then said, wishing for the prosperity of the imperial household and the nation. Next, the imperial envoy forms a procession with their attendants to deliver the offerings from the Emperor, which are brought in a chest.

20/04/2026

Izumo Taisha Daisairei Festival: Shinto offerings from the Emperor

The Imperial Festival, or Grand Festival, is held every year on May 14th, 15th and 16th. It is the most important event at Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine.

This major Shinto festival is held at Izumo Taisha. Along with the festival, there is a flea market and a big tea ceremony event. You will be able to enjoy all of this in the same place, and with a much smaller number of tourists! A win-win, right? Plus, the season is ideal, as the weather is not yet too hot, and the rainy season won’t start until June!

13/04/2026

The former Taisha Station will reopen This week! 🚂

Opened in 1912, the Former Taisha Station ceased operations in 1990 and was designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government in 2004. It will reopen on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Come to see this magnificent early 20th-century station located less than a 20-minute walk from the Izumo Ōyashiro Grand Shrine.

We are waiting for you!

05/04/2026

Cherry trees are in full bloom in Izumo! 🌸

This is a great opportunity to share some pictures with you of several places where you can enjoy the cherry blossoms; Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine and Akagawa River.

29/03/2026

The Statue of “Musubi”

On the path to Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, just before going through the last torii gate, there is a statue of Okuninushi no Okami, the god enshrined in the main shrine.

This statue represents a scene from the myth about Okuninushi becoming the god of “enmusubi” (binding fate). The troubled Okuninushi was staring at the distant land over the sea (world of the dead), thinking about the friend who had since returned there, who had helped him to build the country when he was young, Sukunahikona no Kami. Then, he received the sakimitama and kushimitama, two divine spirits (one said to bring happiness and protection, and the other a mystic force) that appeared from beyond the raging waves.

Receiving those two spirits helped Okuninushi develop his divine nature and become the “God of Enmusubi”, binding the fates of all the living creatures to bring them happiness.

＃Japan　 　 　 　 　 ＃myth ＃japanesemyth

25/03/2026

Marie Kondo Visits Izumo!

Marie Kondo visited Izumo and shares her impressions of the city in a video that lets you escape the hectic pace of everyday life.

Take a break and treat yourself to some quiet time as you listen to Marie Kondo’s gentle voice guiding you on a tour of Izumo.

Marie Kondo

Escape the noise of everyday life and journey to Izumo — one of Japan’s most sacred and serene hidden gems.In this episode, world-renowned author and tidying...

22/03/2026

First release of Japanese Crested Ibis in Izumo in 2027 !

Izumo has a breeding center for crested ibises. They can be observed at Izumo Japanese Crested Ibis Observation Gallery, next to the botanical garden Shimane Hana no Sato.

The Izumo Japanese Crested Ibis Breeding Center, where the birds are kept, has three roles: avoiding the risk of extinction, ensuring genetic diversity, and the dissemination of care and breeding technologies.

A public display area (the Observation Gallery) has been added to the facility, in hopes to deepen understanding of the significance behind conserving, breeding, and returning the crested ibis to the wild.

In February of this year, it was decided that the first release of crested ibis in Izumo will take place in early summer 2027! The city aims to release up to 20 birds in the Hiebara district around early June of that year.

#2027

17/03/2026

Izumo Oyashiro Grand Shrine's Pine Approach 🌲

It is said that the deities pass through the center of the torii (sacred gate), so visitors must walk on the right or left side. At one time, only nobles and lords were allowed to walk through it. The pine trees were planted in the 17th century (around 1630) at the request of the wife of Tadauji Horio, lord of Matsue, as an offering for the fulfillment of a wish.

Today, there is another reason for avoiding walking on the path: to protect the roots of the pine trees. Some of the pine trees have been maintained since the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1868). Since then, some trees have been replanted, but the oldest are believed to be between 350 and 400 years old.