Artist Shinya Itahana 

Matsue, Japan I 2017

"Yomegashima is an island located in Lake Shinji in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, where Benzaiten is enshrined. Shimane is famous for myths." - Shinya Itahana
 
Lake Shinji has a circumference of about 45 kilometres and a variety of fish and shellfish species live in it. The area is also one of the largest wintering areas for swimming birds in Japan. There is a single island on the lake called Yomegashima, which lies about 200 metres from the shore and is dedicated to the deity Benzaiten. 
 
Literally, its name means "bride island", because according to legend, a young bride once tried to cross the frozen lake here because she had way home. But the ice broke under her weight and she drowned. The gods were then saddened by her fate and built the island on the spot where she died to commemorate her soul. In October, the island is illuminated, and you can also visit it on special occasions, but most of the time the sacred place can only be viewed from a distance.