Itsuku-shima

Itsuku-shima

(ētso͞oko͞o`-shĭm`ä), sacred island, 12 sq mi (31 sq km), in the Inland Sea, Japan, SW of Hiroshima. It is the site of an ancient Shinto shrine, famous for its magical beauty. It is also known for a 9th-century Buddhist temple, a pagoda (built 1407), a 16th-century hall built by Hideyoshi, and a huge torii (1875). Miya-jima, or Shrine Isle, is another name for the island.