Ise Shrine

Recently we traveled to Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. We spent our day at the two main shrine complexes, called Kotai Jingu (Inner Shrine, or Naiku) and Toyouke Daijingu (Outer Shrine, or Geku), located 6 kilometers away from each other in adjoining towns.  There are 123 other shrines in the city, all connected to the Naiku and Geku.  This is possibly the most famous group of Shinto shrines in Japan.  The high priest or priestess of Ise Shrine must come from the Japanese imperial family, a tradition that has been held since the late 7th century.  Establishment dates for the shrines vary, but most put it during the reign of Emperor Temmu (678-686), with the first ceremonial rebuilding done by his wife, Empress Jito, in 692.  Yes... every 20 years, the shrine buildings are rebuilt following ceremonial codes.

The shrines are built following the architectural style shinmei-zukuri, which dates to the Kofun era (250-538).  It's characterized by simple, antique lines.  In the picture above, one such building from the Geku is shown through the forest that surrounds all the buildings in the area.  These current buildings date from '93, and will be rebuilt in 2013.  At this time, all the shrines will be dismantled and rebuilt, which is extremely expensive, not to mention wasteful of resources.  I can't quite tell from my research if the shrines are "simply" moved from one site to another, or if they are completely rebuilt from new wood each time.  I fear the latter.  It comes from the Shinto belief in the impermanence of all things, a nod to the cycle of death, decay, and new life.  Somehow they also believe in passing on the building traditions and in this case, are keen on practical applications. 

Does it do anything?

We visited the outer shrine first, because it is smaller, less famous, and easier to get to than the inner shrine.  The Geku is beautiful and quiet, with paths leading to various scenic, shaded shrines built around the main shrine complex.  It is dedicated to the deity of agriculture and industry, Toyouke, hence its official name.  It was lovely, and we must have made many Japanese people uncomfortable with our tourist antics, such as rushing down paths and taking crazy photos.


To the left is a collage of remarkable sites around the Geku.  Top left is the entrance to the main shrine complex, as close as I could get with a camera.  Within the gate are more gates and walls surrounding large wooden buildings with traditional thatched rooftops.  A white pebbled path leads from the front entrance to the main shrine building, surrounded by a sea of charcoal gray pebbles, a theme repeated at the inner shrine.  Bottom left is a shot of the shrine's dance hall.  Top right is another small shrine, and bottom right is one of the many sets of steps we hiked up to get to these shrines.


After making our way around the Geku, we hopped a rather expensive bus for the Naiku.  As soon as we saw the first torii gate, we sensed a different atmosphere.  This part of the shrine was teeming with people, filling a valley between gorgeous mountains and set before a sparkling lake.  The gardens rivaled the majesty of the shrine buildings, but both paled before the mountains (revered as gods themselves in Shinto).

As the story goes, 2,000 years ago the daughter of Emperor Suinin set out to find a permanent location for the worship of Amaterasu, queen of the pantheon of Shinto gods and goddesses.  She wandered for 20 years (sound familiar?) and then found the current location in Ise.  Ameterasu spoke to her and expressed her satisfaction, so the shrines were built.  Naiku is specifically for the worship of Ameterasu.  People come as tourists and devotees to see and worship at the site each year.  Questions of religion aside, I rather like Amaterasu, as she loves dance, and there are always ornate dance halls at her shrines.     

To the left is a small sample of what the grounds look like at Naiku.  There are traditional sculpted trees in front of rolling mountains, in this season all a lush green.

To the right is a picture of an ornate door at the dance hall.  I've been impressed by the design on the doors of shrines lately, between this and those at Meiji.

Above is a collage of sites from the Naiku.  Upper left is a shot of the side of the dance hall.  I really liked the purple draperies over the entryways.  Also, the roof looked like a shiny, polished shell.  Beside it, upper right, is a picture of one of two magnificent relic houses, truly the most ornate I've seen yet.  These buildings also house holy rice plants that are offerings for the gods.  Lower left is yet another small shrine where people can go to offer prayers on talismans, amulets, or scrolls.  Finally, in the lower right is the entrance to Kotaijingu, the main shrine of Naiku.  This is as close as I was allowed to get with the camera.  The large trees growing within the walls are actually built into the buildings, which is awesome.

All in all, this was a very long trip and well worth the effort.  It was amazing to see such a historical relic of a place, even if it is completely rebuilt every 20 years.  I've learned a lot from writing this post, which I hope was passed on to my readers.  This is truly a place that embodies what it means to be Japanese.