Sumiyoshi-zukuri architecture
Sumiyoshi Taisha is the head shrine of over two thousand Sumiyoshi shrines across Japan, and its main halls follow Sumiyoshi-zukuri, an architectural style that predates the arrival of Buddhist temple design and its influence on later shrine construction. The straight-lined, unpainted wooden halls look distinctly older and plainer than more elaborate shrine styles seen elsewhere in Japan.
The Sorihashi bridge
Just inside the entrance, the Sorihashi (also called Taiko-bashi, or 'drum bridge') arches steeply over a pond, painted a deep red against the greenery around it. It's a genuinely striking piece of design and the single most photographed spot on the grounds, though the incline is steep enough that crossing it takes a bit of care.
Getting there
Sumiyoshi Taisha sits south of central Osaka, reachable via Sumiyoshi-taisha Station on the Nankai Main Line, or via the Hankai Tramway — one of the last old-style tram lines still running in Osaka — to the Sumiyoshi-torii-mae stop right outside the shrine gates.