Overview
There is no inner sanctuary: past the worship hall stands the mountain itself, the oldest form of Japanese shrine.
About this place
Ōmiwa Shrine (大神神社, Ōmiwa-jinja), also known as Miwa Shrine (三輪神社, Miwa-jinja; alternately written as Miwa-myōjin (三輪明神)), is a Shinto shrine located in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The shrine is notable because it contains no sacred images or objects, since it is believed to serve Mount Miwa, the mountain on which it stands. For the same reason, it has a worship hall (拝殿, haiden), but no place for the deity to be housed (神殿, shinden). In this sense, it is a model of what the first Shinto shrines were like. Ōmiwa Shrine is one of the oldest extant Shinto shrines in Japan and the site has been sacred ground for some of the earliest religious practices in Japan. Because of this, it has sometimes been named as Japan's first shrine. Ōmiwa Shrine is a tutelary shrine of the Japanese sake brewers.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source ja.wikipedia.org ↗Key facts
Founded / opened:Ancient times Highlights / collection:Without a main sanctuary, Mount Miwa itself is the object of worship Genre:Architecture, Outdoor art and land art
Source ja.wikipedia.org ↗Official website
Check the official website for current opening hours, fees and closing days.
Source oomiwa.or.jp ↗Before you go
Three questions from the World Question Box that relate to this entry.
Same place in other collections
More in Architecture
Check before you visit · References
The original sources are listed here. Confirm opening hours, whether visits are accepted, fees and access with the latest official information.
Crafts and specialties of this prefecture
Written by Value Village from public sources. Nothing here is reproduced from another site. Languages: ja / en
Photos of Nara
Reference photos of the region related to this entry. They are not photos of the listed facility or product.
Enlarge ↗
Enlarge ↗