Izumo-taisha in the context of "Ōkuninushi"

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⭐ Core Definition: Izumo-taisha

Izumo-taisha (出雲大社; "Izumo Grand Shrine"), officially Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi (大国主大神, Ōkuninushi no Ōkami), famous as the Shinto deity of marriage and to Kotoamatsukami, distinguishing heavenly kami. The shrine is believed by many to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan, even predating the Ise Grand Shrine.

A style of architecture, taisha-zukuri, takes its name from the main hall of Izumo-taisha. That hall, and the attached buildings, were designated National Treasures of Japan in 1952. According to tradition, the hall was previously much taller than at present. The discovery in the year 2000 of the remains of enormous pillars has lent credence to this.

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Izumo-taisha in the context of Shimane Prefecture

Shimane Prefecture (島根県, Shimane-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [ɕiꜜ.ma.ne, ɕi.ma.neꜜ.keɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamaguchi Prefecture to the southwest, Hiroshima Prefecture to the south, and Tottori Prefecture to the east.

Matsue is the capital and largest city of Shimane Prefecture, with other major cities including Izumo, Hamada, and Masuda. Shimane Prefecture contains the majority of the Lake Shinji-Nakaumi metropolitan area centered on Matsue, and with a population of approximately 600,000 is Japan's third-largest metropolitan area on the Sea of Japan coast after Niigata and Greater Kanazawa. Shimane Prefecture is bounded by the Sea of Japan coastline on the north, where two-thirds of the population live, and the Chūgoku Mountains on the south. Shimane Prefecture governs the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan which juridically includes the disputed Liancourt Rocks (竹島, Takeshima). Shimane Prefecture is home to Izumo-taisha, one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, and the Tokugawa-era Matsue Castle.

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Izumo-taisha in the context of Daisen-Oki National Park

Daisen-Oki National Park (大山隠岐国立公園, Daisen Oki Kokuritsu Kōen) is a national park in the Chūgoku region, Honshū, Japan, and spans the prefectures of Okayama, Shimane, and Tottori. Mount Daisen is the focus of the park, which also includes the volcanic mountains and plains of Hiruzen, Mount Kenashi, Mount Sanbe, and Mount Hōbutsu. The Izumo Plain region of the park is home to the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan, the Izumo-taisha. The Oki Islands are also an important component of the park. The park was established in 1936 as Daisen National Park (大山国立公園, Daisen Oki Kokuritsu Kōen), but was expanded and renamed in 1961 to include the Oki Islands and Shimane Prefecture areas.

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Izumo-taisha in the context of Ame-no-hohi

Ame no Hohi (天菩比神, 天穗日命,アメノホヒ, "Heavenly grain sun"), also known as Ame no Fuhi (天乃夫比, アメノフヒ) is a male deity and the second son of sun goddess Amaterasu in Japanese mythology. Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko or the historical rulers of Izumo and modern heads of Izumo-taisha and Izumo-taishakyo descend from him.

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