Sumiyoshi taisya

Sumiyoshi Taisha, the Ichinomiya of Settsu Province, is affectionately called "Sumiyossan" and is well known for its large number of New Year's visitors.
During the Yamato dynasty, it was a shrine associated with diplomacy and navigation, enshrined as the guardian deity for envoys to China.
The Tsutsumori clan, who served as chief priests of Sumiyoshi Taisha since the time of Emperor Ojin, were said to board the ships as divine guardians.
The story of Issun-boshi, a one-inch-tall boy, involves a couple who prayed at Sumiyoshi Taisha for a child, leading to his birth and subsequent journey from Sumiyoshi to Kyoto.

Until the Edo period, the Sumiyoshi Park in front of Sumiyoshi Taisha faced the sea, offering beautiful scenery.
Today, streetcars run through, making it a fully urban area.
The arched bridge, called Taikobashi or Sorihashi, is famous as a symbol of Sumiyoshi Taisha.
The bridge is said to purify visitors as they approach the shrine, symbolizing a rainbow connecting the human world with the divine.

The torii gate in front of the main shrine is called Sumiyoshi Torii, characterized by its square pillars, a rare feature.

The four main shrines have a unique layout, with three buildings aligned facing the sea.
The distinct Sumiyoshi-zukuri style features the main hall flanked by a worship hall in a hipped gable configuration.
Inside the main hall, the inner and outer sanctuaries each measure two bays by two bays.

The inner and outer sanctuaries are separated only by a pair of folding doors, with no pillars inside despite the long span.
The roof of the fourth main shrine features inward-facing chigi, as it enshrines a female deity.
Behind the main shrines are the southern and northern warehouses, designated as Osaka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Properties.
These square, gabled structures are elevated on stilts, with eight steps leading up to them.

The southern gate, the entrance from the south, features the Nishi-rakusho and Higashi-rakusho on either side, both designated as Osaka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Properties.
The stage just inside the gate suggests that gagaku (ancient court music) was performed here.
The stage is designated as an Important Cultural Property alongside the stages of Itsukushima Shrine and Shitennoji, considered one of Japan's three great stages.