# Ise Grand Shrine

> Japan's most sacred Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, rebuilt every 20 years in an ancient tradition.

- Prefecture: Mie
- Type: Shrine
- Address: Ise, Mie, Japan

The most important shrine in Shinto, and the thing to understand before arriving is that the buildings are always new. Every twenty years the main sanctuaries are rebuilt from scratch on the empty plot beside them, the deity is moved across, and the old buildings are dismantled. The 62nd rebuilding was completed in 2013; the 63rd is due in 2033. It costs a fortune, uses around 10,000 hinoki cypress trunks, and its real purpose is to carry the carpentry techniques forward: no drawings survive from the eighth century, only craftsmen who have done it once and will teach the next set.

There are two main complexes, six kilometres apart. Geku enshrines Toyouke, the deity of food and industry; Naiku enshrines Amaterasu, the sun goddess and ancestor of the imperial line. Tradition says visit Geku first. Together with 123 smaller shrines they make up Ise Jingu.

At Naiku you cross the Uji bridge, rebuilt on the same twenty-year cycle, and follow a broad gravel path along the Isuzu river, where the traditional purification is to wash your hands in the river itself rather than at a basin.

You will not see much of the sanctuary. A white cloth hangs across the gate, four fences stand between you and the building, and photography stops at the bottom of the steps. The point is not the view. One of the three imperial regalia, the sacred mirror, is said to be inside.

Entry is free and the shrines open at five in the morning all year, which is the best hour to be there. Outside Naiku, Okage Yokocho is a reconstructed Edo street full of food; eat akafuku, red bean mochi that has been sold here since 1707.

## FAQ

### Should I visit the Outer Shrine (Geku) or the Inner Shrine (Naiku) first?

Geku first, then Naiku, the traditional order observed for centuries (Geku-Sanpai). Geku, dedicated to Toyouke-no-Omikami (food/agriculture), is closest to JR Iseshi Station (5-minute walk); Naiku, dedicated to Amaterasu, is 4 km south and reached by bus #51 or #55 from Geku-mae. Plan 2 hours per shrine plus 20-minute bus transfer between them. Both are free to enter. Both have a 30-min minimum and a 2-hour generous visit, and Naiku rewards more time because of Oharaimachi and Okage-yokocho food streets right at its gate.

### What is Shikinen Sengu and when is the next rebuilding?

Shikinen Sengu is the ritual rebuilding of both Naiku and Geku, every 20 years for ~1,300 years. The entire main sanctuaries are dismantled and recreated identically on adjacent reserved sites using traditional joinery, no nails. Costs around ¥55 billion. The 62nd Sengu was in 2013; the 63rd Sengu is scheduled for **2033**. In the years immediately before each Sengu, special ceremonies and the new construction site (cordoned off but visible) can be seen. Visiting in a Sengu year itself is extremely crowded, so leave a buffer day if you must go.

### How do I get to Ise Grand Shrine from Tokyo, Osaka, or Nagoya?

From Tokyo: Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya (1h40m), transfer to Kintetsu Limited Express to Iseshi or Ujiyamada (1h30m, ~¥3,000), about 3.5 hours total. From Osaka: Kintetsu Limited Express (Shimakaze or regular ltd. exp.) from Osaka-Namba direct to Ujiyamada in 1h45m (~¥3,300). From Nagoya: Kintetsu direct in 80 minutes. JR Pass works to Nagoya but NOT on Kintetsu, so non-JR-Pass holders can use the Kintetsu Rail Pass instead. From Ujiyamada or Iseshi station, walk 5 min to Geku, then bus to Naiku.

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Source: Ise Grand Shrine — Japan Voyage