Izumo Local Quiz Practice: Questions and Explanations

Correct answerIzumo Taisha

Okuninushi-no-Okami is the resident deity of Izumo Taisha, credited both with building the nation in myth and with tying the bonds — en-musubi — between people. Visitors reach the sanctuary by way of Shinmon-dori street and the towering Ukabashi Grand Torii. Izumo is also tied to the legend that every deity in Japan gathers here each tenth lunar month — the one month elsewhere called "godless," but in Izumo alone called "the month the gods are present."

Source:Izumo Taisha — official reference

Correct answerInasa Beach

Inasa Beach, just west of Izumo Taisha, is traditionally identified as the shore where Okuninushi met Amaterasu's messenger and agreed to cede the land — the kuni-yuzuri myth that anchors Izumo's whole mythological status.

Source:Inasa Beach — official reference

Correct answerHinomisaki

Hinomisaki sits at the far western edge of the Shimane Peninsula. Its rugged, wave-cut cliffs are what eventually made a lighthouse here a practical necessity, not just scenery.

Source:Hinomisaki — official reference

Correct answerIzumo Hinomisaki Lighthouse

Izumo Hinomisaki Lighthouse was completed in 1903, near the end of the Meiji era, as part of a wave of stone lighthouses built to mark Japan's coastline for modern shipping. At about 43.65 meters, it is the tallest stone lighthouse in Japan and is listed among the world's 100 great lighthouses, with a spiral staircase leading up to an observation deck.

Source:Izumo Hinomisaki Lighthouse — official reference

Correct answerHinomisaki Shrine

Hinomisaki Shrine is unusual for having two separate vermilion halls in Momoyama style, built at different elevations, instead of one main sanctuary — a layout tied directly to the two deities it enshrines.

Source:Hinomisaki Shrine — official reference

Correct answerYatsuashi-mon Gate

Yatsuashimon Gate takes its name from the eight pillars ("eight legs") that support its structure, and stands directly in front of the honden. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, and ordinary worshippers can normally approach no further than this gate — a close view of the honden is reserved for limited special visits.

Source:Izumo Taisha — official reference

Correct answerSogano-yashiro

Sogano-yashiro sits directly behind the honden and enshrines Susanoo, regarded as the father of Okuninushi. The Yakumo hill rising behind the shrine is treated as sacred ground closed to entry, and visitors customarily touch the rock behind the building as part of their prayer.

Source:Sogano-yashiro — official reference

Correct answerUnshu-Hirata Station

Unshu-Hirata Station is an Ichibata Railway stop and the closest station to Momen Kaido. The street around it still lines up Edo- and Meiji-era merchant houses and white-walled storehouses from its days as a cotton-trading hub.

Source:Unshu-Hirata Station — official reference

Correct answerDentetsu-Izumoshi Station

Dentetsu-Izumoshi Station is the terminus of the Ichibata Railway's Kitamatsue Line and sits next to the separately run JR Izumoshi Station. The Ichibata Railway links Izumo Taisha with the Matsue Shinjiko Onsen area and is affectionately known locally as "Bataden."

Source:Ichibata Railway — official reference

Correct answerthe Hii River

The Hii River flows through the Izumo Plain to Lake Shinji and is traditionally identified as the river where Susanoo slew the Yamata-no-Orochi. Known historically as a flood-prone river, its bed is said to have risen over the centuries from sediment washed down by tatara ironworking upstream.

Source:About Izumo City — official reference

Correct answerHinoshizumi-no-miya

Hinoshizumi-no-miya carries a legend that it guards the direction where the sun sets, forming a pair with Ise Jingu, which is said to guard the sun's own home. It is the lower shrine of Hinomisaki Shrine and enshrines Amaterasu Omikami. It sits lower on the grounds than the upper shrine, Kami-no-Miya, with the two structures facing one another.

Source:Hinoshizumi-no-miya — official reference

Correct answerKami-no-miya

Kami-no-Miya is the upper shrine of Hinomisaki Shrine, set higher than the lower Hi-shizumi-no-Miya, and enshrines Susanoo. Hi-shizumi-no-Miya is said to watch over the night while Kami-no-Miya watches over the day, the two forming one shrine together.

Source:Kami-no-miya — official reference

Correct answerOwashi Beach

Owashi Beach is a small pebble cove tucked behind the Izumo Hinomisaki Lighthouse. Enclosed by the cliffs of Hinomisaki, this quiet inlet is also known as a photogenic spot for viewing the sunset together with the lighthouse.

Source:Hinomisaki — official reference

Correct answerFormer Taisha Station

The former Taisha Station, built in 1924 in a Japanese architectural style, is registered as a National Important Cultural Property. Before it closed in 1990, it is said to have served dignitaries as a gateway to Izumo Taisha. The station building, platform, and a preserved steam locomotive remain on site much as they looked in operation.

Source:Former Taisha Station — official reference

Correct answerHirata

Hirata was formerly its own city, having prospered through river trade and the cotton business on the western shore of Lake Shinji, before merging into Izumo City in 2005.

Source:Hirata and Momen Kaido — official reference