July 20, 2012
Photo of the Week: A Gate to the Sea
A floating gate shrouded in purity, this week’s travel photo of the week takes us across the ocean to Japanese waters and the grand entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Itsukushima Shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto, a deity of the seas and storms. And just off the shore of the island in those waters, the shrine’s signature red gate, or torii, hovers to protect the sacred location. As commoners approached the shrine, they originally had to steer their boats through the torii as the gate’s bright colors reflected against the blue lapping water below.
Photo Credit: Japan Mountain View, Vincent van der Pas
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