Izumo Taisha, located in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, is one of Japan’s most historic and revered Shinto shrines. Its spacious grounds are home to numerous historic buildings, including the National Treasure-designated main sanctuary. Among them, the Haiden and Kaguraden are particularly important to visitors.
The Haiden is the central place where worshippers offer prayers, while the Kaguraden is one of the most recognizable symbols of Izumo Taisha, famous for its enormous sacred rope. Together, these buildings showcase the shrine’s religious traditions, architecture, art, and ceremonial culture.
The Haiden is the shrine building where visitors approach the deity to pray and make wishes. It is dedicated to Okuninushi-no-Okami, the principal deity of Izumo Taisha, and is visited by people seeking blessings for many aspects of life.
While the main sanctuary is the most sacred area reserved for the deity, the Haiden serves as a place where people can directly face the divine presence. In addition to everyday worship, prayers are offered here for protection from misfortune, family safety, business prosperity, and good relationships and connections.
Important ceremonies and religious events, including the traditional Niinamesai harvest festival, are also held at the Haiden, making it a central part of the shrine’s religious life.
The present Haiden was completed in 1959. The previous building had been constructed in 1519 during the Muromachi period by the powerful warlord Amago Tsunehisa. Its elaborate decorations, created by the renowned craftsman Tsuboi Osuminokami, were highly regarded.
However, in 1953, a fire broke out at the Sankaden building during celebrations associated with the reconstruction of the main sanctuary. The fire occurred late at night and was attributed to embers left behind after mochi making. The Haiden and several administrative buildings were destroyed.
Following the fire, worshippers and supporters throughout Japan launched a major fundraising campaign, eventually collecting approximately 100 million yen. Takamatsu-no-miya Nobuhito, the younger brother of Emperor Showa, served as honorary head of the rebuilding project, while architect and architectural historian Toshio Fukuyama was responsible for the design.
The completed Haiden became one of the largest examples of traditional wooden Shinto architecture built in postwar Japan.
The Haiden incorporates elements of Taisha-zukuri, the distinctive architectural style associated with the main sanctuary of Izumo Taisha, together with features of traditional gabled construction.
Taisha-zukuri is one of Japan’s oldest forms of shrine architecture and is characterized by a dignified structure reminiscent of ancient raised-floor buildings. Like the main sanctuary, the Haiden reflects the tradition of placing the entrance on the gabled side of the building, with a covered entrance porch on the southeast side.
The building is constructed primarily from Kiso cypress, allowing visitors to appreciate the natural grain and warmth of the timber. Its copper-sheet roof and numerous copper decorative fittings add to its dignified appearance.
The building covers approximately 485 square meters and rises about 12.9 meters high. Inside, its spacious proportions create a solemn atmosphere suited to prayer and ceremonies.
At the center of the Haiden is a huge foundation stone supporting one of the building’s main structural pillars. Known as Okazaki stone, it was transported from Okazaki City in Aichi Prefecture and weighs approximately 13 tons.
The effort required to transport such an enormous stone from a distant region reflects the dedication and determination behind the shrine’s reconstruction.
The construction was carried out by the Ito Heizaemon family, a distinguished lineage of master builders whose tradition dates back to the Momoyama period. Professors from Tokyo University of the Arts also contributed to the design of the decorative metal fittings, giving the building considerable artistic as well as architectural value.
Izumo Taisha undergoes major reconstruction and restoration approximately every 60 years in a tradition known as Sengu. During periods when the main sanctuary is being repaired, Okuninushi-no-Okami is temporarily transferred to the Haiden.
During this time, the Haiden functions as a temporary sanctuary and becomes an especially sacred space. This also occurred during the Heisei Grand Sengu in 2008, when the deity was transferred to the Haiden and worshippers were able to offer prayers in this unusual setting.
The transformation of a building normally used by worshippers into a temporary dwelling for the deity demonstrates the depth and complexity of the religious traditions preserved at Izumo Taisha.
A sacred well is located to the west of the Haiden. Water drawn from this well is used for offerings to the deities enshrined in the main sanctuary and for religious ceremonies.
In traditional Japanese culture, pure water has long been regarded as sacred. At Izumo Taisha, this well continues to play an important role in supporting the rituals and sacred environment of the shrine.
Alongside the Haiden, the Kaguraden is one of the buildings most closely associated with Izumo Taisha. It is especially famous for its enormous shimenawa, or sacred straw rope, and is frequently featured in photographs and travel guides of the shrine.
The Kaguraden is used for large-scale religious ceremonies, prayers, weddings, and ceremonial performances. The word kagura refers to sacred music and dance performed for the deities and represents one of Japan’s oldest forms of ritual performing arts.
Today, the Kaguraden remains a special space where the human and divine worlds are symbolically brought together.
The building originally served as a large reception hall belonging to the Senke Kokusō family, the hereditary priestly family of Izumo Taisha. It was known as the Fuchokan.
After Izumo Taisha-kyo was established during the Meiji period, the building also came to be used as a religious hall. Prayers, ceremonies, weddings, and other events were held there.
The present Kaguraden was extensively rebuilt in 1981 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Izumo Taisha-kyo. Its enormous interior contains a hall equivalent to approximately 270 traditional tatami mats, creating an imposing and spacious setting.
The most striking feature of the Kaguraden is the enormous Oshimenawa hanging above its entrance.
It measures approximately 13.6 meters long, about 8 meters in circumference, and weighs approximately 5.2 tons. It is recognized as one of the largest sacred ropes in Japan.
In Shinto tradition, a shimenawa marks a sacred boundary separating a divine space from the ordinary world. The rope at Izumo Taisha is distinctive because its strands are twisted in the opposite direction from those commonly seen at many other Japanese shrines.
It is particularly recognizable for its unusual shape, with the thicker end on the left and the thinner end on the right when facing the building.
The enormous rope is made by volunteers in Iinan Town, Shimane Prefecture, and is replaced approximately every six to eight years. The replacement requires a massive crane and takes an entire day to complete.
The front gable of the Kaguraden features beautiful stained glass, an unusual decorative element in traditional Shinto architecture.
The colorful design depicts clouds associated with Izumo as well as the shrine’s crest. When sunlight passes through the glass, it creates a beautiful and almost dreamlike atmosphere.
The combination of traditional Japanese architecture with Western-style stained glass demonstrates the distinctive creativity found at Izumo Taisha.
The Kaguraden is still used today for prayers and traditional Shinto weddings.
A wedding held before Okuninushi-no-Okami, who is widely revered as a deity associated with relationships and connections, holds special significance for many couples. People travel from across Japan to experience this unique ceremony.
With the solemn sounds of traditional gagaku music filling the air, a Shinto wedding at the Kaguraden offers a memorable opportunity to experience an important aspect of Japanese traditional culture.
In the garden in front of the Kaguraden stands a huge 47-meter-high flagpole.
The Japanese national flag displayed here measures approximately 8.7 meters high by 13.6 meters wide and weighs about 50 kilograms. Its surface area is equivalent to approximately 75 tatami mats, making it one of the largest Japanese flags in the country.
On clear days, the enormous flag billowing against the blue sky creates an impressive view together with the Kaguraden and is a popular place for photographs.
Many visitors to Izumo Taisha naturally focus on the National Treasure-designated main sanctuary. However, once you explore the shrine grounds, the presence and sacred atmosphere of the Haiden and Kaguraden are equally captivating.
The Haiden surrounds visitors with an atmosphere of quiet prayer, while the Kaguraden impresses with its enormous sacred rope and imposing architectural design. Both buildings preserve the religious traditions and cultural heritage that have been passed down at Izumo Taisha for centuries.
They are also valuable places for appreciating traditional Japanese architecture, decorative arts, and Shinto culture. By looking closely at the details of the buildings, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship and spiritual traditions that have shaped Japan.
Although Izumo Taisha is particularly famous as a sacred place associated with good relationships and connections, its significance extends beyond romantic relationships. The shrine offers an opportunity to encounter Japan’s ancient history, mythology, traditional architecture, and spiritual culture in one extraordinary setting.
When traveling through Izumo, take time to explore both the Haiden and Kaguraden at a leisurely pace and experience the solemn atmosphere of this remarkable sacred site.