Itsukushima became one of Benzaiten's three great sacred islands through the medieval identification of Ichikishimahime with Benzaiten. The floating shrine's vermilion torii rising from the Inland Sea is among the most iconic images of sacred Japan.
Itsukushima is the sacred island of Ichikishimahime, the Munakata sea goddess, whose shrine has stood on the island since antiquity. The island was considered so holy that no births or deaths were permitted on its soil.
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