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Mie · City

Ise

伊勢市いせしIse-shi

The pilgrims' city of the sun goddess

Ise is the shrine city of Mie Prefecture, built around Ise Jingū – the Inner Shrine of the sun goddess Amaterasu and the Outer Shrine of Toyouke – the most sacred site in Shintō and a pilgrimage destination for more than a thousand years.

Overview

Ise exists because of its shrines. Ise Jingū – officially simply Jingū – is a complex of 125 shrines centred on two sanctuaries: the Naikū (Inner Shrine), dedicated to Amaterasu-Ōmikami, ancestral deity of the imperial house, and the Gekū (Outer Shrine), dedicated to Toyouke-Ōmikami, goddess of food and harvest. Their main halls are built in the unpainted cypress style called shinmei-zukuri and are rebuilt on adjacent plots every twenty years.

The city grew from two shrine towns, Uji around the Inner Shrine and Yamada around the Outer Shrine, which were combined as Uji-Yamada and renamed Ise in 1955. In the Edo period the oshi – shrine agents who guided and housed pilgrims – made the town one of the busiest destinations in Japan. Today the approach streets of Oharai-machi and Okage-yokochō recreate that atmosphere, while the coastal district of Futami adds the Wedded Rocks and sea-bathing traditions.

Landmarks

  • Naikū (Inner Shrine)

    内宮（皇大神宮）Naikū (Kōtai Jingū)

    Sanctuary of Amaterasu in cedar forest by the Isuzu River, entered across the Uji Bridge; the main hall is seen only through its fences.

  • Gekū (Outer Shrine)

    外宮（豊受大神宮）Gekū (Toyouke Daijingū)

    Sanctuary of the food goddess Toyouke near Ise-shi Station; tradition has pilgrims visit it before the Inner Shrine.

  • Uji Bridge

    宇治橋Uji-bashi

    Wooden bridge over the Isuzu River marking the boundary between the everyday world and the sacred precinct.

  • Meoto-iwa

    夫婦岩Meoto-iwa

    The Wedded Rocks off Futami-okitama Shrine, joined by a sacred straw rope; around the summer solstice the sun rises between them.

  • Sengūkan

    せんぐう館Sengūkan

    Museum at the Outer Shrine explaining the rebuilding ritual, with a full-scale section of the main hall.

  • Kawasaki merchant quarter

    河崎Kawasaki

    Former wholesale district on the Seta River with black-walled storehouses that supplied the pilgrim trade.

  • Asama-yama and Kongōshō-ji

    金剛證寺Kongōshō-ji

    Mountain temple on Asama-yama above the city, traditionally visited after the shrines; the Ise-Shima Skyline passes it.

Districts

  • Oharai-machi

    おはらい町Oharai-machi

    Stone-paved approach of about 800 metres to the Inner Shrine, lined with gabled wooden shops.

  • Okage-yokochō

    おかげ横丁Okage-yokochō

    Reconstructed Edo- and Meiji-style lanes in the middle of Oharai-machi.

  • Gekū-sandō

    外宮参道Gekū sandō

    Street between Ise-shi Station and the Outer Shrine, with inns and restaurants.

  • Futami

    二見Futami

    Coastal district with the Wedded Rocks, old seaside inns and the Hinjitsukan guest house.

History

According to the Nihon Shoki, Amaterasu was enshrined at Ise by Princess Yamatohime after a long search for a fitting place. The Gekū followed in the 5th century by tradition. From the late 7th century the shrines were rebuilt every twenty years, a practice interrupted only during the civil wars of the 15th and 16th centuries. Private pilgrimage was originally forbidden, but from the Middle Ages oshi spread Ise devotion across the country, and in the Edo period a journey to Ise became the great trip of a lifetime for commoners.

  1. Antiquity (by tradition)

    Amaterasu is enshrined at the Isuzu River, founding the Inner Shrine.

  2. c. 690

    First Shikinen Sengū, the twenty-yearly rebuilding of the sanctuaries.

  3. 1462–1585

    The rebuilding cycle lapses during the civil wars and is later restored.

  4. 1705 and 1830

    Okage-mairi: millions of pilgrims pour into Ise within a few months.

  5. 1906

    Uji-Yamada, formed in 1889 from the shrine towns of Uji and Yamada, becomes a city.

  6. 1955

    Uji-Yamada is renamed Ise.

  7. 2005

    Merger with Futami, Obata and Misono creates the present city.

  8. 2016

    The G7 summit held at nearby Kashikojima brings leaders to the Inner Shrine.

Culture

Life in Ise follows the rhythm of the shrines, which hold some 1,500 rites a year, from the Kannamesai harvest offering in October to the daily food offerings to the deities. Residents take part in the preparations for each Shikinen Sengū, hauling timber (Okihiki) and white pebbles (Shiraishi-mochi) into the precincts. The city's inns and restaurants still trace their origin to the Edo-period pilgrim trade.

Festivals

  • Kannamesai

    神嘗祭Kannamesai

    The most important annual rite of Ise Jingū in mid-October, offering the first rice of the harvest to Amaterasu.

  • Ise Jingū Hōnō Zenkoku Hanabi Taikai

    伊勢神宮奉納全国花火大会Ise Jingū Hōnō Zenkoku Hanabi Taikai

    Competition of fireworks makers from across Japan, dedicated to the shrine, on the Miya River in summer.

  • Summer solstice purification at Futami

    夏至祭Geshisai

    Dawn purification in the sea at Futami-okitama Shrine on the day of the summer solstice.

  • Okihiki

    お木曳Okihiki

    Timber-hauling festival held in the years before each Sengū, when citizens drag cypress logs to the shrines by cart and river.

Food

  • Ise udon

    伊勢うどんIse udon

    Thick, very soft noodles in a dark, sweet tamari sauce – quick food for hungry pilgrims.

  • Akafuku

    赤福Akafuku

    Rice cake under red-bean paste, made at the Inner Shrine approach since the early 18th century.

  • Tekone-zushi

    てこね寿司tekone-zushi

    Marinated bonito on vinegared rice, from the fishing coast of Shima.

  • Ise-ebi and abalone

    伊勢海老・鮑Ise-ebi, awabi

    Spiny lobster and abalone from the Ise-Shima coast, traditional shrine offerings.

Getting around

  • Kintetsu trains run to Ise-shi and Ujiyamada stations from Nagoya (about 1 hour 20 minutes) and from Osaka and Kyoto (about 2 hours); JR connects Ise-shi with Nagoya.
  • The Outer Shrine is a short walk from Ise-shi Station; buses run between the Outer and Inner Shrines (about 15 minutes) and on to Futami.
  • Rental bicycles are practical on the flat ground between the two shrines and the Kawasaki district.
  • Kintetsu continues south to Toba and Kashikojima for Ise-Shima National Park.

Day trips

  • Toba

    Mikimoto Pearl Island, the Toba Aquarium and ama huts on the coast.

  • Kashikojima and Ago Bay

    Island-strewn pearl bay viewed from Yokoyama observatory.

  • Tsu

    Prefectural capital with Senju-ji temple, about 40 minutes north.

  • Kumano Kodō Iseji

    Pilgrim route from Ise towards Kumano, with stone-paved passes near Owase.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalTsuTsu-shiMie's quiet capital on Ise Bay

Frequently asked questions

Which shrine should I visit first, the Inner or the Outer Shrine?

Tradition says the Outer Shrine (Gekū) first, then the Inner Shrine (Naikū). Both deserve at least an hour, and the bus between them takes about 15 minutes.

Can visitors see the main sanctuary of Ise Jingū?

Only from outside. Visitors pray at the outer gate; the main halls stand behind several fences and are glimpsed only partially. Photography is not allowed at the front of the main sanctuaries.

Why are the shrines rebuilt every 20 years?

The Shikinen Sengū renews the buildings in their original form to keep them pure and to pass on carpentry and craft skills. The next structure is built on the empty neighbouring plot.

Is one day enough for Ise?

One day covers both shrines and Oharai-machi. Staying overnight allows an early-morning visit to the Inner Shrine and a trip to Futami or Toba.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  2. 2.伊勢神宮 (opens in a new tab) — 神宮司庁
  3. 3.伊勢市公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 伊勢市
  4. 4.伊勢志摩国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — Ministry of the Environment

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