Sumiyoshi Taisha

Sumiyoshi Taisha is one of the small number of shrines whose architecture is held to predate the arrival of Buddhism in Japan, and the form - sumiyoshi-zukuri - is distinct: straight gabled roofs with no curve, no vermilion on the columns in the Chinese manner, entrance on the gable end, and a fence around each of the four main halls, which stand in an unusual arrangement of three in a line and one beside the third, said to represent a fleet at sea. The shrine is dedicated to three sea deities and to Empress Jingu, and it was the protector of voyages and of the port of Naniwa. The buildings are rebuilt periodically to the same pattern and the current halls date from 1810. Sorihashi, the arched bridge over the pond at the entrance, is so steep that crossing it is treated as an act of purification; there are steps cut into it.

History

The shrine is dedicated to the three Sumiyoshi gods and to Empress Jingū. It came under imperial patronage in the early Heian period, was among the 16 shrines to which Emperor Murakami ordered messengers sent from 965 to report important events, and was the ichinomiya of Settsu Province (Wikipedia, Sumiyoshi-taisha).

The main sights

• Sumiyoshi-zukuri - straight gables and gable-end entrances, a pre-Buddhist form.
• Four halls in formation - three in a line and one alongside, read as ships at sea.
• Sorihashi - an arched bridge steep enough to need steps cut into it.
• A sea shrine - dedicated to three sea deities and the protector of the old port.

When to go

All year; New Year draws over two million and is the largest crowd. Two hours.

What to expect

The bridge is genuinely steep and slippery in rain. The four halls are fenced and viewed from outside only. New Year queues stretch for hours. Explanatory signage in English is limited.

Nearby

Shitennoji is north; Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku are north-east.

Key facts