Ise Jingū

“An eternity built anew every twenty years”

Open in Google Maps

Go deeper↓

Photo: N yotarou · CC BY-SA 4.0

Scenes

The shrine encircled by cedarsKzaral · CC BY 2.0

The Uji Bridge and the river leading into the shrineZairon · CC BY 4.0

Meaning

In the cool air of the cedar forest, only the sound of gravel underfoot fills the stillness.

Regarded as the most venerable of Shinto shrines; in the tradition of shikinen sengu, its sanctuaries are taken down and built anew at regular intervals.

Field notes

Location: Ise · Japan · N34.5° · E136.7°
Best time: Early morning in the cool hush of the cedar forest, or in a year of the shikinen sengu rebuilding
Getting there: By bus from Iseshi Station to the Inner Shrine (Naiku).
Etiquette: Within the forested grounds, quiet and courtesy are kept.

Sources

· Encyclopaedia Britannica
· Jinja Honcho

Official site Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.