Let's Heal Ourselves on Land of Gods: Izumo ・ Shimane Prefecture

Izumo City in Shimane Prefecture is widely known as the 「Country of Gods」 because it is where plenty of places associated with Japanese myths still remain. A lot of people visit Izumo to seek connection and heeling, with the enshrined deity Okuninushi-no-Mikoto of Izumo Taisha Shrine serving as Healing God well versed in medicine.

In Izumo, October is referred to as Kami-ari-zuki, when as many as eight million gods from all over Japan gather together at Izumo Taisha Shrine to hold a "meeting for marriage", which brings people together with connection.

This time we will introduce you to a healing trip that will allow you to purify your body and mind while immersed in unspoiled landscapes of ancient Japan, in Izumo called the Country of Gods.

■Let's take a deep breath at Inasa-no Hama, which welcomes eight million gods

It takes 15 minutes on foot to get here from Izumo Taisha Shrine. As we go through the old-fashioned residential area, the sea comes widely into view.

This place Inasa-no Hama is where the eight million gods, who are to gather at Izumo Taisha Shrine, first gather together to hold a "meeting for marriage". At this beach of Inasa-no Hama, the Kami-mukae-sai ceremony takes place at 7 p.m. on October 10 in the old calendar every year to welcome the gods.

Also at Inasa-no Hama, the Yukoku Kagaribi Mai hosted by Odochikagura is generally dedicated on the fourth Saturday of every May.

Entrance fees and seat reservations are not required, so if you can visit this place with good timing, you can view a wonderful kagura performance, feeling at ease.

Kagura no Mai, with the setting sun and a bonfire in the background, is very fantastical, as night gradually falls.

We feel as if to be invited to a country of ancient gods while listening to the sound of waves.

■Purify our body with divine power that dwells in gigantic stones

The Tateiwa Shrine is an ancient praying field with lofty gigantic stones. It is a power spot that lies in a forest. Takitsuhiko-no-Mikoto, a descendant of Healing God Okuninushi, is God of 「Prayer for Rain」. We purify and condition our mind in front of the remains of worship of god in stones that brings blessed rain indispensable for rice cultivation, which maintains the people's lives.

■Pray at "Izumo" Yakushi, a country of medicine, and condition the body with a wild grass vegetarian dish

Let's move to Ichibata Yakushi, which is Yakushi for eyes, situated on top of a small mountain. It is a historic temple opened in the Heian period (894 in the Christian Era), and the tea plantation, from which the temple's name derives, still exists today, where it is possible to drink chemical-free hojicha tea as we like.

Also, there remains an uncanny legend of this temple.

One day, fisherman Yoichi, who lived with his blind mother, found the Statue of Yakushi Nyorai at sea. 「Jump from the waterfall, Yoichi, and your mother's eyes will heal」, Yakushi Nyorai told him, appearing in his sleep, at a later date. It seems that his mother's eyes healed, as he plucked up courage and jumped from the waterfall, believing in those words.

This legendary Statue of Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined here and still visited by worshipers today as Yakushi for eyes.

■Reset our stomach healthily with a voluminous vegetarian dish

If we get hungry after walking a lot, let's try a vegetarian dish at 『Izumosoba Monzen』 in the immediate vicinity of Ichibata Yakushi. Although it is a restaurant for Izumo soba noodles, it is possible to order a voluminous vegetarian dish with seasonal vegetables, if a reservation is made for four or more people.

You might think that the vegetables alone may not be satisfactory, but items such as meatballs containing soybeans instead of meat taste like real ones and are filling. This dish will also be ideal for resetting our stomach, which has become fullest in the middle of a trip with continuous luxurious meals.

■Souvenir to heal you even after your return from the trip

Izumo is a country created by Okuninushi, who is Healing God. The plants written in the 『Izumo-no-kuni Fudoki』, which solely exists in a way that is close to a complete book, and the medicinal herbs cultivated on the land created by Healthcare/Medicine Gods are referred to as the 《Izumo herbs》.

Herbal tea with the Izumo herbs is expected to have healing effects and skin-beautifying effects and has been popular in recent years.

We can make an original herbal tea with the "Izumo herbs" at THE GIFT IZUMO located on the Shinmon-dori Street of Izumo Taisha Shrine. Let's make our own herbal tea with blending in according with our mood and the season.　30 minutes　2000 yen

Used for Shinto rituals and as shimenawa ropes at shrines, etc., Makomo is said to be the "plant closest to God".

If we drink it in the form of tea, place it together with bath salt in the bath, and so forth, cleansing and purification will be possible from inside and outside our body.

Please have a herbal tea experience and purchase Makomo product(s) at THE GIFT IZUMO.

https://izumo-herbs.com

How did you like the introductions?

Izumo in Shimane Prefecture is a healing, pleasant place where the divine light coming through clouds makes us feel nostalgia and also hope for tomorrow. Please refresh your body and mind on this land, which looks like unspoiled landscapes of Japan, and spend time to face your inner side.

■From the author

Konohanaplan　Representative　Minori Maeda

Planner　Izumo myth guide　Izumo herb coordinator

Acting in the healing country Izumo to create and plan events and tours focused on myths and medicinal herbs.

Speaking not just about myths and medicinal herbs but also about hot springs and geosites.

The contents shown here can also be enjoyed in a two-day and one-night taxi plan with a navigator well versed in myths. Beautiful Shimane Retreat Tour 2025 | International Medical Bridge Ltd. (med-bridge.tours)

■How to go to Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture

■How to go to Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture

Approximately 30 minutes by bus from Izumo Airport to Izumoshi Station

■Inasa-no Hama　2711 Kizukikita, Taisha-cho, Izumo City

■Tateiwa Shrine　1503 Sakaura, Izumo City

■Ichibata Yakushi　803 Kozakai-cho, Izumo City

■Izumosoba Monzen　2117-3 Kozakai-cho, Izumo City

■THE GIFT IZUMO　861-1-2F Kizukiminami, Taisha-cho, Izumo City