Wikimedia CommonsCulture
Japanese
Location
Mie Prefecture, Japan
Key Figures
Amaterasu, Toyouke, Ninigi
Images via Wikimedia Commons
The Myth
The story as told by the culture
Ise Jingu is the most sacred Shinto shrine in Japan — the earthly dwelling of Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess, supreme deity of the Shinto pantheon and divine ancestor of the Japanese imperial family. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the sacred mirror (Yata no Kagami) — one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan — was given by Amaterasu to her grandson Ninigi when he descended from heaven to rule the earth. The mirror is enshrined in the inner sanctum of the Naiku (inner shrine) at Ise.
The mythology of Amaterasu's retreat into a cave (Ama-no-Iwato) is one of the most important stories in Japanese mythology. When her brother Susanoo's violent behavior drove her into hiding, the world was plunged into darkness. The other gods lured her out by holding a party outside the cave, placing a mirror to catch her attention. When she emerged, light returned to the world. The sacred mirror at Ise is said to be this very mirror.
No one except the chief priestess (traditionally a member of the imperial family) and select priests may enter the inner sanctum. Ordinary visitors see only the outer fences and the thatched rooftops rising above them. The innermost shrine has not been publicly seen in over a thousand years.
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Myth types
The Place
The physical location today
Ise Jingu comprises two main shrine complexes set in ancient cryptomeria forests in Mie Prefecture: the Naiku (inner shrine, dedicated to Amaterasu) and the Geku (outer shrine, dedicated to Toyouke, goddess of food and industry), along with 125 subsidiary shrines. The complexes are separated by about 4 miles.
The shrine buildings are constructed in the ancient shinmei-zukuri style — unpainted Japanese cypress (hinoki) with thatched roofs, elevated on pillars, with no nails. The architecture intentionally preserves the form of prehistoric Japanese granaries, connecting the sacred to the most basic element of survival: rice.
Visit information
Access
Free — the shrine grounds are open to visitors, though the inner sanctum is restricted
Nearest city
Ise, Mie Prefecture (Nagoya 90 min by train)
Notes
Visit both the Naiku and Geku (tradition says Geku first). The approach to the Naiku through the ancient forest, crossing the Uji Bridge over the Isuzu River, is one of the most beautiful walks in Japan. Okage Yokocho, the traditional street near Naiku, has excellent food stalls.
The History
What archaeology and scholarship tell us
The practice of Shikinen Sengu — completely dismantling and rebuilding the shrine on an adjacent site every 20 years — has been maintained since 690 CE. The 63rd rebuilding was completed in 2013, and the 64th is scheduled for 2033. Each rebuilding uses traditional tools and techniques, requiring over 10,000 hinoki trees and 8 years of preparation.
This cycle serves multiple purposes: it maintains traditional building skills, it ensures the shrine is perpetually new (reflecting Shinto concepts of purity and renewal), and it mirrors the cycles of death and rebirth in nature. The practice means that Ise Jingu is simultaneously the oldest and newest shrine in Japan — over 1,300 years of continuous tradition housed in buildings never more than 20 years old.
During the Edo period, roughly one in six Japanese people made the Ise pilgrimage at least once. Today, over 6 million visitors come annually.
Mythological Connections
Sources
Breen, John and Mark Teeuwen. A New History of Shinto (2010). Wiley-Blackwell. View source → Authoritative scholarly history of Shinto with detailed treatment of Ise
Tier 1Nearby Sites
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