A thousand years old and halfway into the sea, Oarai Isosaki Shrine is worth the trip out to Ibaraki.
Despite being an easy day trip from Tokyo, Ibaraki Prefecture rarely makes it into the itineraries of sightseers exploring Japan, but the beauty of Oarai Isosaki Shrine alone is enough to convince some travelers to come from far and wide. Built over a millennium ago in the year 856, the shrine is an officially recognized cultural asset in Ibaraki, but its real claim to fame is the torii shrine gate (鳥居) perched on a rocky outcropping in the Pacific Ocean. If you're looking for a destination outside of the big city, or if you're heading to Oarai Ferry Terminal, this shrine is definitely worth a visit.
Oarai Isosaki Shrine technically has three torii, but only two of them are within the main shrine grounds. The third is out along the Oarai coast, in a spot steeped in legend. It's said that once upon a time, a god appeared in this spot just off the mainland, and told the local villagers in ancient Ibaraki "I came to save you all." How the local people were saved by this mysterious appearing god is something of a mystery, but to commemorate the event, the torii was built out among the waves.
Called the Kamiiso-no-torii (神磯の鳥居), this simple white shrine gate is now known for its beauty, standing out against the deep blue of the sea that splashes all around it. Facing east with a backdrop of the open ocean, the view is truly spectacular at sunrise if you can get up early enough to catch it, and the warm light of sunset makes for great pictures as well. To find the spot out in the ocean, you can walk down the Oarai Isosaki Shrine's main path, cross the street, and slip through a narrow passage between a museum and a hotel!
▷ Fun fact! Dedicated anime fans with a love for Girls und Panzer might also want to check out this shrine, which shows up in the anime. Girls und Panzer is actually based in the city of Oarai!
Oarai Isosaki Shrine (大洗磯前神社)
6890 Isohama-cho, Oarai, Ibaraki
Hours: 5:30 – 18:00
Official Website (jp)
Details
NAME:Oarai Isosaki Shrine (大洗磯前神社)
PROFILE
Follow us @Japankuru on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MORESee Kyoto Clearly With Your New Glasses #japankuru #kyoto #jins #교토여행 #진즈 #京都 #교토수족관 #가모가와 #kamogawa #kyotoaquarium
A Very Special Trip on the Ferry Sunflower #japankuru #ferrysunflower #hokkaidotrip #japanexperience #japantrip #girlstrip #oarai #tomakomai #北海道 #北海道旅行 #茨城 #홋가이도 #일본선박여행 #토마코마이 #이바라키 #북해도 #페리여행 #여행에미치다 #여자끼리 #日本渡輪 #sunflower號 #坐船旅行 #日本女子旅 #日本體驗
Japanese Makeup Shopping • A Trip to Kamakura & Enoshima With Canmake’s Cool-Toned Summer Makeup #pr #canmake #enoshima #enoden #에노시마 #캔메이크 #japanesemakeup #japanesecosmetics
⚔️The Robot Restaurant is gone, but the Samurai Restaurant is here to take its place. Check it out, and don't forget your coupon! 🍣신주쿠의 명소 로봇 레스토랑이 사무라이 레스토랑으로 부활! 절찬 쿠폰 발급중 💃18歲以上才能入場的歌舞秀,和你想的不一樣!拿好優惠券去看看~ #tokyo #shinjuku #samurairestaurant #robotrestaurant #tokyotrip #도쿄여행 #신주쿠 #사무라이레스토랑 #이색체험 #할인이벤트 #歌舞伎町 #東京景點 #武士餐廳 #日本表演 #日本文化體驗 #japankuru #japantrip #japantravel #japanlovers #japan_of_insta
Japanese appliance & electronics shopping with our KOJIMA x BicCamera coupon! 用JAPANKURU的KOJIMA x BicCamera優惠券買這些正好❤️ 코지마 x 빅 카메라 쿠폰으로 일본 가전 제품 쇼핑하기 #pr #japankuru #japanshopping #kojima #biccamera #japaneseskincare #yaman #dji #osmopocket3 #skincaredevice #日本購物 #美容儀 #相機 #雅萌 #日本家電 #일본여행 #면세 #여행꿀팁 #일본쇼핑리스트 #쿠폰 #일본쇼핑 #일본브랜드 #할인 #코지마 #빅카메라 #japankurucoupon
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄