TheIse Shrine (Japanese:伊勢神宮,Hepburn:Ise Jingū), located inIse,Mie Prefecture ofJapan, is aShinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddessAmaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddessToyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply asJingū (神宮), Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines,Naikū (内宮) andGekū (外宮).
The Inner Shrine, Naikū (also officially known as "Kōtai Jingū"), is dedicated to the worship of Amaterasu and is located in the town of Uji-tachi, south of central Ise, where she is believed to dwell. The shrine buildings are made of solid cypress wood and use no nails but instead joined wood. The Outer Shrine,Gekū (also officially known as "Toyouke Daijingū"), is located about six kilometers from Naikū and dedicated toToyouke-Ōmikami, the god of agriculture, rice harvest and industry.[1] Besides Naikū and Gekū, there are an additional 123 Shinto shrines in Ise City and the surrounding areas, 91 of them connected to Naikū and 32 to Gekū.[2]
Purportedly the home of theSacred Mirror, the shrine is one of Shinto's holiest and most important sites.[3] Access to both sites is strictly limited, with the general public not allowed beyond sight of the thatched roofs of the central structures, hidden behind four tallwooden fences. However, visitors are free to roam the forest, including its ornamental walkways which date back to theMeiji period.
During theEdo period, it is estimated that one out of ten Japanese conducted anOkage Mairi pilgrimage to the shrine. Accordingly, pilgrimage to the shrine flourished in both commercial and religious frequency. According to historical documents, 3.62 million people visited the shrine in 50 days in 1625, and 1.18 million people visited the shrine in three days in 1829 when the grand festival held every 20 years was held.[4] Because the shrine is consideredsanctuary, no security checkpoints were conducted, as it was consideredsacrilege by the faithful. The two main shrines of Ise are joined by a pilgrimage road that passes through the old entertainment district of Furuichi.
The chief priest or priestess of Ise Shrine must be related to theImperial House of Japan and is responsible for watching over the Shrine. The current High Priestess of the shrine is the daughter of Emperor EmeritusAkihito, former PrincessSayako Kuroda.[5]
Free-range chickens roaming the grounds, considered to be the divine messengers of Amaterasu
According to theNihon Shoki, around 2000 years ago the divineYamatohime-no-mikoto, daughter of theEmperor Suinin, set out fromMt. Miwa in modernNara Prefecture in search of a permanent location to worship the goddess Amaterasu, wandering for 20 years through the regions of Omi and Mino. Her search eventually brought her to Ise, in modernMie Prefecture, where she is said to have established Naikū after hearing the voice of Amaterasu saying "(Ise) is a secluded and pleasant land. In this land I wish to dwell."[6] BeforeYamatohime-no-mikoto's journey,Amaterasu had been worshiped at the imperial residence inYamato, then briefly atKasanui in the eastern Nara basin. When Princess Yamatohime-no-mikoto arrived at the village of Uji-tachi, she set up fifty bells to designate the area as enshrined for the goddess Amaterasu, which is why the river is called theIsuzu, or "fifty bells".[7]
Bird's eye view of the area surrounding the Gekū shrine
Besides the traditional establishment date of 4 BC,[9] other dates of the 3rd and 5th centuries have been put forward for the establishment of Naikū and Gekū respectively. The first shrine building at Naikū was erected byEmperor Tenmu (678–686), with the first ceremonial rebuilding being carried out by his wife,Empress Jitō, in 692.[10]
The shrine was foremost among a group of shrines which became objects of imperial patronage in the earlyHeian period.[11] In 965,Emperor Murakami ordered imperial messengers to be sent to report important events to the guardiankami of Japan. Theseheihaku were initially presented to 16 shrines including the Ise Shrine.[12]
From the late 7th century until the 14th century, the role of chief priestess of Ise Shrine was carried out by a female member of theImperial House of Japan known as aSaiō. According to theMan'yōshū, the first saiō to serve at the shrine wasPrincess Ōku, daughter ofEmperor Tenmu, during theAsuka period. Mention of Ise Shrine's saiō is also made in the Aoi, Sakaki and Yugao chapters ofThe Tale of Genji as well as in the 69th chapter ofThe Tales of Ise. The saiō system ended during the turmoil of theNanboku-chō period.
During theEmpire of Japan and the establishment ofState Shinto, the position of chief priest of the Ise Shrine was fulfilled by the reigning emperor and theMeiji,Taisho andShōwa Emperors all played the role of chief priest during their reigns.
Since the disestablishment of State Shinto during theOccupation of Japan, the offices of chief priest and most sacred priestess have been held by former members of the imperial family or their descendants. The current chief priest of the shrine isTakatsukasa Naotake [ja], adoptive son ofTakatsukasa Kazuko. He succeeded Kitashirakawa Michihisa, a great-grandson ofEmperor Meiji, in 2007. Takatsukasa Kazuko was succeeded by her younger sister,Ikeda Atsuko. In 2012, Ikeda was joined by her nieceSayako Kuroda, sole daughter of EmperorAkihito, to serve as a high priestess under her. On 19 June 2017, Sayako officially replaced her aunt as supreme priestess.[5]
Okihiki Festival in May 2007, exhibiting wood to build the next shrine
The architectural style of the Ise shrine is known asshinmei-zukuri, characterized by extreme simplicity and antiquity; its basic principles date back to theKofun period (250–538 C.E.). The shrine buildings use a special variant of this style calledyuitsu-shinmei-zukuri (唯一神明造), which may not be used in the construction of any other shrine.Yuitsu-shinmei-zukuri style replicates the architectural features of early rice granaries.[13] The old shrines are dismantled and new ones built on an adjacent site to exacting specifications every 20 years at exorbitant expense, so that the buildings will be forever new and forever ancient and original. The present buildings, dating from 2013, are the 62nd iteration to date and are scheduled for rebuilding in 2033.
Main shrine building, Naiku
The shrine at Naikū is constructed ofJapanese cypress. Built on pillars set directly in the ground, the shrine building measures 10.9 by 5.5 meters and includes a raised floor, verandas all the way around the building and a staircase leading to a single central doorway. The Naikū does not have any windows.[13] The roof is made of thatched reed with ten billets (katsuogi) located on the ridge of the roof, the bargeboards of which project beyond the roof to form the distinctive forked finials (chigi) at the ends of the ridge. Thechigi on the roof of the Naikū are flat on top, rather than pointed, which serves as a distinction for the gender of the deity being represented. In the case of Ise, Amaterasu, a female deity, is represented at the shrine, which is why thechigi are flat.[14] The roof ridge is supported by two free-standing columns called themunamochi-bashira. Thekatsuogi,chigi andmunamochi-bashira are stylised forms of older storehouse building techniques that pre-date the introduction of Buddhist architecture in Japan.[15]
The empty site beside the shrine building, the site where the previous shrine once stood and where the next will be built, is called thekodenchi. This area is strewn with large white pebbles and is left totally empty apart from theoi-ya, a small wooden hut containing a wooden pole a little over 2 metres in height called theshin-no-mihashira (new sacred central pole). When a new shrine is built, it is built around the sacred central pole before the removal of the oi-ya, so that the central pole is never seen. The central pole of the old shrine will then have a newoi-ya erected so that theshin-no-mihashira also remains unseen.[10]
The erection of a single post in the center of a sacred area strewn with stones represents the form taken by Japanese places of worship in very ancient times; theshin-no-mihashira would thus be the survival of a symbolism from a very primitive symbolism to the present day.[16][ISBN missing]
Ukiyo-e depicting the Sengū ceremony (relocation of kami) when it was rebuilt in 1849. byHiroshige, 1849Ise Grand Shrine Ukiyo-e with Emperor Meiji (center) worshipping Ise Jingu on a portable shrine (March 11, 1869)
The shrine buildings at Naikū and Gekū, as well as the Uji Bridge, are rebuilt every 20 years as a part of the Shinto belief intokowaka (常若), which means renewing objects to maintain a strong sense of divine prestige in pursuit of eternity, and as a way of passing building techniques from one generation to the next.[17][18] The twenty-year renewal process is called theShikinen Sengū. Although the goal of Sengū is to get the shrine built within the 20-year period, there have been some instances, especially because of war, where the shrine building process is postponed or delayed.[19] The original physical purpose of the Sengu process is unknown. However, it is believed that it serves to maintain the longevity of the shrine, or possibly as a gesture to the deity enclosed within the shrine. Historically, this cyclical reconstruction has been practiced for many years in various shrines throughout Japan, meaning that it is not a process exclusive to Ise. The entire reconstruction process takes more or less 17 years, with the initial years focusing on project organization and general planning, and the last 8 years focusing on the physical construction of the shrine.
The shrine has evolved throughout the years in its reconstruction, while maintaining some of its key features. The shrine was not originally constructed with gold copper adornments; however, because of advancements in technology as well as Buddhist influence, it gained them over the years.[20] Another example of Buddhist influence on the shrine is the use ofSuedama, which are Buddhist orbs seen on various religious structures. It symbolizes a sacred jewel, and is comparable tonyoi-shu, orbs which many Buddhist figures are displayed holding.[13] Initially, the shrine was constructed of locally sourcedHinoki wood, which served as an ideal building material due to its physical properties. The abundance of local Hinoki wood was short lived, and the shrine currently obtains the wood through other domestic producers, who ensure that only the best wood is being used for the construction. Before the wood is usable in building the shrine, it must be put through a lengthy seasoning and drying process where it is in a pond for several years and then dried.[20]
The team which builds the shrine is typically formed around a few factors. Since many of the building techniques haven't changed since the creation of the Ise Shrine, the workers who are hired to build the shrine must be skilled in specific techniques. Power tools are not allowed within the area of the shrine, which means that skilled artisans and carpenters known asmiyadaiku[13] are necessary in the construction process. The unit of workers is also organized around relative skill levels, and less experienced workers will work on smaller tasks than more experienced workers. The importance of hiring specifically local artisans has decreased throughout time, for the pool of available miyadaiku has thinned out.[20] Specialized work and the specific materials come with a cost; in 2013, the shrine was built from private donations alone, totaling 57 billion Japanese Yen (US$550 million).[21]
Land before Sengū ceremony, 2005
In August, in a long-standing tradition, the people who live in Ise are allowed to enter the area around the Inner Sanctum of the Naiku as well as the Geku. Some villages drag a wooden carriage laden with white stones up theIsuzu River onto the grounds of the Naiku. Each participant gets two white stones in a white handkerchief and these allow them to place the stones in the area around the Inner Sanctum. Other villages drag a huge wooden cart or Noburi Kuruma laden with white stones to the Uji bridge at the entrance of the grounds of the Naiku. Participants receive two white stones which are also placed in the sacred space around the Inner Sanctum. The entire tradition is called Shiraisshiki and it is very colourful with every participant wearing ahappi coat representing a particular village. The rebuilding of the main shrine takes place on a site adjacent to the old, and each rebuilding alternates between the two sites. The next scheduled rebuilding of Naikū is due in 2033 on the lower, northern site. Various other religious ceremonies are held with the completion of the shrine, each serving different purposes.[20]
In the lead-up to the rebuilding of the shrines, a number of festivals are held to mark special events. The Okihiki Festival is held in the spring over two consecutive years and involves people from surrounding towns dragging huge wooden logs through the streets of Ise to Naikū and Gekū. In the lead-up to the 2013 rebuilding, the Okihiki festival was held in 2006 and 2007. A year after the completion of the Okihiki festival, carpenters begin preparing the wood for its eventual use in the Shrine.
From the late seventh century, when the festivals and offerings of Ise Shrine became more formalised, a number of annual events have been performed at both Naikū and Gekū. The Tsukinamisai, which was held in June and December, as well as the Kannamesai Festival in September, were the only three offerings performed by theSaiō, an imperial princess who served as high priestess of the shrine until the 14th century.[22] These offerings are based on the cycle of the agricultural year and are still performed today.
The first important ceremony of the modern calendar year is theKinen-sai, where prayers are offered for a bountiful harvest. Kazahinomisai, where prayers for fair weather and sufficient rains are made, is held twice a year in May and August at both Naikū and Gekū.
The most important annual festival held at Ise Shrine is theKannamesai Festival (神嘗祭). Held in October each year, this ritual makes offerings of the first harvest of crops for the season to Amaterasu. An imperial envoy carries the offering of rice harvested by theEmperor himself to Ise, as well as five-coloured silk cloth and other materials, calledheihaku.[23]
Besides the agricultural ceremonies already mentioned, ceremonies and festivals are held throughout the year at both Naikū and Gekū to celebrate things such as the new year, the foundation of Japan, the past emperors, purification rituals for priests and court musicians, good sake fermentation and theEmperor's birthday. There are also daily food offerings to the shrine kami held both in the mornings and evenings.[24]
Toyouke Daijingu (豊受大神宮) is a shrine toToyoukebime, the food goddess, located in Ise Grand Shrine. it is also colloquially known asGekū (外宮,lit.'Outer shrine').[25] In pilgrimage customs people traditionally visit this shrine first and thenKotai jingu which is located 4 km to the south[25]
The shrine was founded afterEmperor Yuryaku dreamt that he sawAmaterasu. She said she was unable to get food and asked him to bringToyouke-hime fromTanba help her with food.[8]
Daiichi-torii-guchi Sando is the primary route into the shrine. It is aSandō that starts at the Hiyokebashi bridge entrance, and beyond this bridge, the Temizusha (ablution font) is visible on the left side.[25]
Saikan and Anzaisho are the Purification Hall and Hall for Imperial Household Visitors respectively. They are on the right side of the pilgrimage path. The Saikan, which is surrounded by fences, is used by Shinto priests to purify themselves. They stay here for one or two nights to cleanse their minds from worldly concerns before performing rituals, as they bathe and eat meals prepared with sacred fire to achieve spiritual serenity; adjacent to Saikan, there is a building called Anzaisho, which serves as the Hall for the Emperor and Empress.[25]
Toyouke Omikami is enshrined at the Honden. It lies in the most sacred area enclosed by four rows of fences, and the structure remains unchanged from 1500 years ago. Worshippers can only approach the first gate.[25]
In Japanese mythologyToyouke-hime was either killed byTsukuyomi-no-Mikoto[a][26] or bySusanoo-no-Mikoto.[b] Amaterasu mourned the death of her and in theNihon Shoki the reason the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the sky is that Amaterasu was unwilling to go nearTsukuyomi-no-Mikoto the moon god after he committed the murder.[26] Amaterasu is linked with Toyouke-hime as the sun is necessary for food to grow. This was prior to theTenson Korin and the establishment ofIse Jingu.Emperor Suinin is said to have established the shrine to worshipAmaterasu at a permanent location after many temporary locations.[7] In contrast withKotai jingu [ja], this shrine is not explicitly mentioned in theKojiki or theNihon Shoki.
Besides the traditional establishment date of 4 BC,[9] it has also been proposed as having been made in the 5th century.[10] The shrine officially states it was created 1500 years ago in response to a revelation fromAmaterasu that the shrine was needed.[27]
The shrine has been traditionally rebuilt every 20 years.[28]
There is a separate shrine dedicated to Toyouke'sAra-mitama, orToyouke-Ōmikami no Ara-mitama (豊受大御神荒魂) calledTakanomiya [ja] (Takamiya) inside this shrine.
The official name of the main shrine of Naikū is Kotaijingu and is the place of worship of the goddess Amaterasu. The grounds of Naikū contain a number of structures, including the following:[29]
This 100 meter wooden bridge, built in a traditional Japanese style, stretches across theIsuzu River at the entrance of Naikū. Like the shrine buildings of Naikū, it is rebuilt every 20 years as a part of the Shikinen Sengū ceremony. The bridge is typically built by carpenters with less experience to gain more skills before moving on to take on the task of working on the main shrine.[20] On crossing the bridge, the path turns to the right along the banks of the Isuzu river and passes through large landscaped gardens.
After crossing a short, wide bridge, pilgrims to the shrine encounter the Temizusha, a small, roofed structure containing a pool of water for use in ritual purification. Visitors are encouraged to wash their hands and rinse their mouths at Temizusha as a symbolic act to clean the mind and body of impurity. The first of two large torii gates stands just beyond the Temizusha.
After passing the first large torii gate, the Purification Hall (Saikan), and the hall for visitors from the imperial household (Anzaisho) is located to the left. The Saikan is used by shrine priests to purify themselves before performing ceremonies at the shrine. They are required to spend one or two nights to free their minds of worldly issues, partaking in baths and eating meals cooked with the sacred fire.
This hall for special prayer, located just after the second large torii gate, is open to the public for the offering of individual prayers to the kami, the giving of donations and the purchase of special talisman of protection, amulets and hanging scrolls of Amaterasu Omikami.
Charge field prayer, Toyouke Daijingū (Gekū), 2005
This hall contains the sacred fire used to cook all of the food offerings to the kami of Ise Shrine. Rice and other offerings cooked on the sacred fire are stored in a box made of Japanese cypress, then purified at the Haraedo immediately in front of the Imibiyaden before being offered to the kami.
The pilgrimage path then approaches the fence of the inner sanctum (昇殿, shōden) of Naikū by a set of large stone steps. Within another set of fencing inside the gate is the main shrine (正宮, seigū) itself. Visitors are supposed to keep to the sides of the path as the middle is set aside for the goddess Amaterasu. Etiquette is the same as for most Shinto shrines. Though the actual shrine is hidden behind a large fence, pilgrims can approach the gate to offer their prayers. Photographs in this area are prohibited and this restriction is strictly policed.
Kotai Jingū is said to hold theSacred Mirror, one of threeImperial Regalia of Japan said to have been given to the first Emperor by the gods. From a path that follows the line of the outer wall, the distinctive roof of the shrine building can be seen through the trees. In front of the walled shrine compound can be seen an open area which was the location of the rebuilding of the shrine in 2013.
The pilgrimage to the Ise shrine, also known asSangū,[30] gained immense popularity during the Edo Period, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims would travel there every year. The growth was exponential, 5 million pilgrims visiting the shrine in the year 1830 alone. By the late 19th century, tourists from abroad began to visit and document Ise. The popularity of making a trip to Ise resulted in vast networks and groups of travelers, which ultimately led to businesses working to benefit from this influx of interest for the shrine. Travel guidebooks were made to aid travelers in their navigation, as well to let them know of specific important places to visit while at Ise. They also included woodblock prints of the shrine that were very appealing to those who had made the long trek to the shrine.[19] Additionally, people wanted souvenirs, which resulted in a variety of vendors at Ise selling general goods and specialty items. There were also various post stations which had specific gifts, many of which were woodblock prints.[31] The pilgrimage had multiple purposes and appeals. It was seen as a purification process, and by visiting Ise, pilgrims were purified and aided in receiving a good afterlife.[30] It also was seen as a vacation, the journey to the shrine itself being almost as important as actually getting there.[31] In the 21st century, Ise is still an important destination both to foreign tourists and especially to the Japanese community; 9 million Japanese tourists visited the shrine in 2013.[21]
^abReynolds, Jonathan (June 2001). "Ise Shrine and a Modernist Construction of Japanese Tradition".The Art Bulletin.83 (2):316–341.doi:10.2307/3177211.JSTOR3177211.
^abcdeAdams, Cassandra (Sep 1998). "Japan's Ise Shrine and Its Thirteen-Hundred-Year-Old Reconstruction Tradition".Journal of Architectural Education.52:49–69.doi:10.1111/j.1531-314X.1998.tb00255.x.
^abBreen, John (2017).Carmen Blacker: Scholar of Japanese Religion, Myth and Folklore. Renaissance Books. pp. 396–412.ISBN978-1-898823-56-8.
^Saikū Historical Museum information booklet, "A Town of Bamboo Illumined Once Again".
^"Isejingu". Archived fromthe original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved2007-10-10. – Annual Cycle of Ceremonies and Rice, Official Ise Jingu homepage.
^"Isejingu". Archived fromthe original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved2007-10-10. – Annual Cycle of Ceremonies, Official Ise Jingu homepage.
^"Jingū sessha massha junhai" (「神宮摂社末社順拝」,Sarutahiko jinja, March 31, 1989) The second volume (下巻) p. 87
^"Jingū sessha massha junhai", The second volume (下巻) p. 31, NoHiragana in "Oise mairi" .
^Katada jinja is written at "伊勢市二見町江 (Futami-chō-E, Ise city)" in "Oise mairi", but this shrine is in Futami-chō-Chaya. Futami-chō-Chaya was independent of Futami-chō-E on November 1st 2005, and Futami-chō-Chaya is often written Futami-chō-E by a mistake. Katada jinja is mapped "二見町茶屋 (Futami-chō-Chaya)" in these maps, not Futami-chō-E.