Izumo Taisha

Oldest of all Japan's Shinto shrines, this site has been of tremendous cultural significance—second only to the great shrine at Ise—since the 6th century. The main building was last rebuilt in 1744. In ancient days it was the largest wooden building in the country, but since the 13th century, each time it was rebuilt, it was scaled to half its former size, and it is now only 24 meters tall. The original must have been a humbling thing to stand in front of! Nature has arrayed a shrine of its own to compliment the ornate but somehow subdued structures: a lofty ridge of forested peaks rises behind, a boulevard of fragrant ancient pines lines the approach, and lush green lawns flank both sides. Pilgrims come here primarily to pray for success in courtship and marriage.