Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
(Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine)

The main Shinto shrine of Sumiyoshi Sanjin, the three gods of Sumiyoshi known as
the Sumiyoshi Okami. It also enshrines Empress Jingu. Built in a style named after it
(Sumiyoshi-zukuri), the pillars, rafters and gables are painted a bright vermilion. The
wainscot is white chalk. The roof is cypress bark, and the gables are in a straight line.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Japan Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 21 Galleries in the Photoshelter Japan Collection
— Sumiyoshi Taisha is in the following Gallery (Direct Link) —

Heian Jingu, Kasuga and Sumiyoshi Taisha

Sumiyoshi Taisha 0043

Ishidoro (stone lanterns) and a Koma-inu (lion-dog guardian)
clustered at the entrance to Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine.

The Sumiyoshi are gods of the sea. The park used to be close to the ocean,
as it was the main international harbor entering Japan from the Silk Road,
but the area has since been filled to extend the shore further out to sea.
The port Sumino-etsu, built by Emperor Nintoku (Emperor Ojin’s 4th son)
was the main port to China and was located just south of the shrine. Envoys
to China’s Tang and Sui dynasty courts would worship at the shrine and ask for
Sumiyoshi’s protection on their trip (travel was riskier in those days, 1600 years ago).

Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine was founded in 211 AD by Tamomi no Sukune, under the reign of
Empress Jingu (technically still the reign of her recently-deceased husband, Emperor Chuai).
It is also regarded as the ancestor shrine of Hachimanshin (the god of war), as it enshrines
Empress Jingu, the mother of Emperor Ojin (who was enshrined as Hachiman). The
Tsumori clan who have been high priests since the reign of Emperor Ojin are
the descendants of Tamomi no Sukune’s son Tsumori no Toyoada.
This is a very old place with a strong sense of tradition.
Founded well before the Buddhist architectural
styles came over from the mainland, it
exhibits a pure Japanese style.

Sumiyoshi Taisha Koma-inu 0044

We took a side trip while visiting a friend in Osaka to see Sumiyoshi Taisha.
The sky promptly opened up and poured buckets on us. One unexpected side-effect
of the rain is that it really brought the color out of the Koma-inu pictured here.
It reduced the number of photographs taken... shooting in a pouring rain
is rarely productive, but I did (of course) shoot the famous bridge.

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One of Japan’s most famous arched bridges, the Taiko Bashi (drum bridge)
of Sumiyoshi Taisha can be very slippery when wet. I wish I could show you just how
slippery, but if I did my wife would kill me. She nearly took the downslope the hard way.

Sumiyoshi Taisha Taiko Bashi 0045

Sumiyoshi Taisha Taiko Bashi 0051

Sumiyoshi Taisha Taiko Bashi 0047

The Taiko Bashi is a wooden bridge with stone supports built to represent a rainbow
to connect the ground and sky. Maximum angle is 48 degrees. It was donated by Yodo-Dono,
the favored concubine of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and niece of Oda Nobunaga. She was the mother of
Toyotomi Hideyori, who was Tokugawa Ieyasu’s last threat and who died along with Lady Yodo at
the siege of Osaka Castle, officially ending the Sengoku period and beginning the Edo period.

This places the date of construction between 1590 and 1615. I can’t find specific dates.

The bridge is called Taiko Bashi (drum bridge) because a profile reflection looks like a drum (taiko).

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Note the scale of some of the lanterns... this one is monumental, but not the largest.

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Rear entrance to Sumiyoshi Taisha. You can really see the rain coming down.

This Torii is a Kakutorii, or square-pillar Torii. It is representative of an earlier style,
called Sumiyoshi Torii after the shrine. The pillars are almost square, and have an
inward-slanting incline. The top lintel has a strong upward curve. The secondary
lintel is also square, with a slight curve to match the curve of the lower surface
of the upper lintel, and the ends of the secondary lintel are cut vertically.

Compare this with images of Torii gates on other Shrine section pages.

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They put down plastic to protect the floors.

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The entrance to the inner shrine.

Sumiyoshi Taisha Kairo exterior 0065

A kairo is a covered colonnade. Note the steeply hipped roof of Sumiyoshi-zukuri style architecture..

Sumiyoshi Taisha Sake 0066

Sake barrels donated to the shrine.

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Note the forked finials on the roofs in the distance.

Sumiyoshi Taisha Lantern 0068

Sumiyoshi Taisha Lanterns 0069

Some of the many ishidorii (stone lanterns) lining the paths
leading into and out of Shinto Shrines. They are donated by
members of the congregation, and some are truly enormous.

Sumiyoshi Taisha Lantern 0071

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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Japan Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 21 Galleries in the Photoshelter Japan Collection
— Sumiyoshi Taisha is in the following Gallery (Direct Link) —

Heian Jingu, Kasuga and Sumiyoshi Taisha

Return to the Shinto Shrines index page

Return to the Master Index on the Japan Select page.