Looking back from the O-torii towards the island, you
can see the famous Itsukushima shrine, a Shinto shrine built on stilts
in the tidal flat. The shrine was founded in 593, and although it
doesn't appear to have been ravaged by fire, it was rebuilt a number of
times over the years. The current structure is believed to be a
16th century replica of the 12th century compound.
It was built in honor of the three daughters of
Susano-o-no-Mikoto, the Shinto god of the moons and the oceans.
Like most of the shrines we visited, we couldn't really get any up close
photos.
