Mishima taisya

Located in the center of Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture, with a large shrine grove.
At the entrance stands a large torii gate, and along the long path, there are ponds on both sides. On an island connected by a bridge stands the Itsukushima Shrine, said to have been enshrined by Hojo Masako.

From the main gate standing directly in front of the path, the shrine buildings are aligned.

Mishima Taisha is said to have been both the Ichinomiya and the Soja of Izu Province, and it was highly revered by Minamoto no Yoritomo.
There is a legend that it was originally on Miyake Island, then relocated several times to Shimoda and Ohito Town before finally being placed at its current location.
The current Mishima Taisha is said to have been separated as a new shrine near the provincial capital in the mid-Heian period.
From the Middle Ages, it attracted faith from warriors and commoners, and the "Mishima Calendar" published by the shrine was known nationwide.

The dance hall in front of the worship hall was once called the Purification Hall and was used for Kagura and prayers.
It still hosts rituals such as the Rice Planting Ceremony and weddings today.
The current dance hall was built in 1866.
Carvings depicting Chinese stories adorn the transoms and walls.
It was partially renovated after the 1930 Izu Earthquake.

The main shrine is a combined shrine that includes the offering hall and the worship hall.
The style is a three-bay Nagare-zukuri, connected to a gabled worship hall in a hirairi style, with the connecting part serving as the offering hall.
It stands 16 meters tall, making it the largest ancient structure in the Tokai region.
The main shrine's roof is adorned with five katsuogi and chigi, and both the worship hall and the transoms feature many carvings.
After the 1854 Tokai Earthquake, it was rebuilt in 1866, with carvings done by the father and son team of Kozo Hanbei and Kozo Kido, and Goto Yoshiro. The shrine is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.