出雲大社は、縁結びの神として名高い大国主大神をお祀りする、日本有数の古社です。正式名称は「いづもおおやしろ」。神話の時代、大国主大神が天照大御神に国を譲る際に建てられたとされる壮大な社殿は、かつて高さ48メートルにも及んだと伝えられています。
Izumo Taisha is one of Japan's most ancient and important shrines, dedicated to Okuninushi no Okami — the deity of relationships and bonds. Its formal reading is 'Izumo Oyashiro.' According to mythology, the grand shrine was built when Okuninushi ceded the land to Amaterasu, and its hall is said to have once stood 48 metres tall.
「神在月」── 全国の八百万の神々が
出雲に集う、縁を結ぶ聖地。
In the 'Month of the Gods,' eight million deities
gather at Izumo to tie the threads of fate.
毎年旧暦十月（神無月）には、全国の神々が出雲に集まり縁結びの会議を行うとされ、出雲地方ではこの月を「神在月」と呼びます。日本最大級の注連縄がかかる神楽殿、長い参道の松並木、そして独特の「二礼四拍手一礼」の作法が訪れる人を迎えます。
Every year during the old-calendar October, all the deities of Japan are said to gather at Izumo for a grand council on human relationships. The region calls this month 'Kamiarizuki' — the Month When Gods Are Present. Visitors are greeted by one of Japan's largest shimenawa ropes, a pine-lined approach, and the distinctive worship practice of two bows and four claps.