page_title: Izumo-taisha
section_title: Shōkokan
hierarchical_section_title: Izumo-taisha / Architecture / Shōkokan
caption_attribution_description: English: Izumo Taisya, Izumo, Shimane prefecture, Japan Italiano: Izumo Taisha Sacrario, Izumo, prefettura di Shimane, Giappone 日本語: 出雲大社の彰古館, 島根県出雲市
context_page_description: Izumo-taisha, officially Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi, famous as the Shinto deity of marriage and to Kotoamatsukami, distinguishing heavenly kami. The shrine is believed by many to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan, even predating the Ise Grand Shrine.
  A style of architecture, taisha-zukuri, takes its name from the main hall of Izumo-taisha. That hall, and the attached buildings, were designated National Treasures of Japan in 1952. According to tradition, the hall was previously much taller than at present. The discovery in the year 2000 of the remains of enormous pillars has lent credence to this.
  Several other buildings in the shrine compound are on the list of Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
context_section_description: The Shōkokan (彰古館) consists of two floors. The first floor is the reception office for Kaguraden. The second floor consists of a museum for important items.
  Some items in the museum are items designated as national treasure and important cultural assets, like jewelry, household articles, paintings, swords, and musical instruments.
  Considered most important in Shōkokan are a set of Japan's oldest wooden pestle and an igniting board and a small boat that was hollowed out of a piece of wood. The small boat was believed to have come from the upper stream of the Yoshino River, through the Seto Inland Sea, and to the Inasa Beach near Izumo-taisha.
caption: The Shōkokan.
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