Itsukushima Shrine: Giboshi for Takabutai Stage 嚴島神社 高舞台 擬宝珠

Official explanation

Itsukushima Shrine: Giboshi for Takabutai Stage

The Itsukushima Shrine takabutai is a square stage on the terrace directly in front of the main shrine building. Used for performances of bugaku (classical court dancing), it is enclosed by a fence with eight decorative copper finials on the posts, one in each corner and one on either side of the twin entrances to the stage. These finials, called giboshi, have adorned the takabutai since at least the sixteenth century and were donated to the shrine in 1546, as detailed in the inscriptions on their sides. The text, which is still clearly legible, describes how the giboshi were a gift from the head priest of Itsukushima Shrine. He was assigned to this post by Ouchi Yoshitaka (1507–1551), head of the Ouchi family and lord of Aki Province, which included Miyajima. The finials currently in use on the takabutai are modern reproductions.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.