Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, Japan

Itsukushima Temple is a Shinto shrine on Itsukushima Island, most noted for its "floating" torii gate. It is located in the Japanese city of Hatsukaichi, in the Hiroshima Prefecture. The shrine complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and various buildings and belongings have been declared as National Treasures by the Japanese government.

The Itsukushima temple is a renowned tourist destination in Japan. The shrine's spectacular gate, or torii, on the boundaries of the shrine, the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, huge woodlands, and its ocean outlook are its most well-known features. The Honsha temple and the Sessha Marodo-jinja are the two primary buildings in the shrine complex, although there are 17 other buildings and features that contribute to differentiate it.

Throughout history, Japan has gone to tremendous lengths to maintain the Shrine's twelfth-century architecture. The shrine was conceived and erected in the Shinden-zukuri style, with pier-like buildings spanning the Matsushima harbor to give the impression that it was floating on the water, apart from the island, and that the faithful may approach it "like a castle on the sea." This concept of fusing architecture and nature was popular in the 16th century and throughout the Heian period, when Japanese structures tended to "follow after their environment," allowing trees, water, and other kinds of natural beauty to be included into the design of homes and buildings. As a result, the two developed a significantly more intimate friendship.

Location: Itsukushima, Japan