Shinto is the local religion in Japan stretching back many centuries which presents parts of nature and life in the form of spiritual deities. Ise Jingu, or Ise Shrine, is the most sacred Shinto shrine in Japan.
Shrines are thought of as a way of creating a physical representation of these deities, and a way for the Japanese people to live in harmony with such spiritual beings. While there is no one god in Shinto that reigns supreme, one of the most important gods is thought to reside in the inner shrine (Naiku) of Ise Jingu. Amaterasu Omikami is the goddess of heaven and earth and the harmony that rests between them. The outer shrine (Geku) is dedicated to Toyouke no Omikami, the goddess of agriculture and industry.
Both gods are incredibly important to Japan and Shinto religion, and as such this is one of the most popular shrines in the country — even though you’re not actually allowed to go inside them. These shrines are considered so sacred, no one apart from the chief priest or priestess (who must be a member of the imperial family) and the Japanese Imperial family itself are allowed inside the shrine site.
Every 20 years, to honour the importance of death and rebirth, residents of Ise are allowed inside the area around the Inner Sanctum of both shrines, before the shrines and the bridge between them (Uji Bridge) are rebuilt again from scratch. This gives the entire place a strange fusion between ancient architecture and modern materials.
Visiting Ise Shrine means a ten minute walk from the Iseshi station to Geku, and a bus ride from Geku to Naiku (unless you want to do the ultimate pilgrimage and walk there but I wouldn’t recommend it). Both are similar in their appearance and set up, but the atmosphere inside the grounds of each shrine is magical. The forested grounds are filled with huge redwoods and each path is dotted with beautifully crafted laterns and torii (Japanese style gates or archways) that create a peaceful and quiet balloon to step inside.
While I’ve seen some tourists write off Ise Jingu because ‘once you’ve seen one shrine, you’ve seen them all’, there is something special about the location of these shrines. However, even if cultural significance isn’t your thing, a trip to Ise Jingu is worth it for Oharai Machi and Okage Yoko-cho. This is a number of streets branching off from Naiku that inspirit what one of my students described as ‘Japanese Disney Land’. The buildings in this area are built to imitate historical Japanese buildings, and most are filled with shops selling traditional Japanese products like china work, fans, and traditional clothing. There’s also a huge number of restaurants and street vendors selling local food like beef dishes, seafood and shaved ice (though be warned, none of it is in English). Even the non-traditional shops like Family Mart (a Japanese supermarket chain) is housed within an old-style building with a traditional looking sign.
To watch my own trip to Ise Shrine, please click below!