Hello, I am Yoshi from NILS Japanese language school. Today’s topic is the World Heritage of Japan: 厳島神社 Itsukushima Jinja Shrine.
Itsukushima Jinjy is the only shrine in the world built over the surface of the sea. They could only build it there because the island itself had been considered sacred since ancient times, and even priests were not allowed to live on the island from the 7th century, when it was built, until the Meiji period. Worshippers in the Edo period had to visit the shrine by boat through the torii gate built in the sea.

Why does the shrine standing onthe beach not get washed away by the sea?
It is because of devices used to make the floor panels stay on the foundations. For example, the floor panels are placed on hte foundations with some space in between, which allows water to drain through them. Also some of the floor panels are not completely fixed on the foudations to reduce the water pressrure at high tide, which otherwise would push the panels from the bottom and break the floor and break the floor.


Itsukushima Shrine

May 21st News, from NILS Japanese language school.