Ise Shrine

Location: Ise, Mie Prefecture   Map

Constructed: 1st century AD

Dedicated: goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami

Ise Shrine

Description of Ise Shrine

Ise Shrine is a religious complex in Ise, Mie Prefecture in Japan. It was constructed in first century and dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami. The Shrine of Ise (伊 勢 神宮), also known as the Great Shrine of Ise (伊 勢 大 神宮) And officially as The Sanctuary (神宮), Is the most important Shintō shrine in Japan. It is considered the most sacred place of this religion. It is located in the city of Ise, in the center of the prefecture of Mie, in the central-southern region of the country. The area in which the sanctuary is located is part of the Ise-Shima National Park, which also includes other sacred and historical sites, such as Meoto Iwa and Saiku (imperial residence during the Heian era). The Sanctuary is mentioned in the two oldest books of Japan, the Kojiki and the Nihonshoki, written at the beginning of the 8th century, in which it is mentioned that the legendary foundation of the Sanctuary was made in the year by Princess Yamatohime-no-mikoto, daughter of Emperor Suinin.

 

Building

Ise Shrine consists of two complexes. The first, the inner sanctuary of Nike, is dedicated to the progenitor of the imperial family, the goddess Amaterasu. The second, outer shrine, Geku, is dedicated to the goddess of food, Toyouke, who plays the role of a cook under Amaterasu. The distance between the outer and inner sanctuaries is about 4 kilometers. Until 1945, the temple was separated from the rest of the world by the Miyagawa River, acting as the boundary of the sacred land. Priests were forbidden to cross this river, so as not to violate the purity necessary for serving as kami. Violation of this prohibition, it was believed, would bring many troubles to the country. Until the 12th century, when power passed into the hands of the shoguns, priests sometimes used this prohibition, blackmailing the government that if their demands were not met, they would cross the sacred river and personally appear in the capital.

Inside the huge temple complex there are various secondary sanctuaries, as well as subsidiary farms. In particular, Ise has its own orchards, orchards, a salt mill, and sake production. In these fields and gardens, food is produced for the kami worshiped on the territory of the sanctuary. All of it is cooked in the Toyouke Shrine, on a pure fire made entirely by friction. Kami dishes are simple clay plates and cups without any painting or enamel. They are also made in Ise territory. It is believed that the kami should receive their food twice a day. Previously, Amaterasu ate boiled rice, as well as fruits and vegetables grown on the temple grounds. During the Meiji period, with the return of power to the emperor, dried tuna, sea bream, shellfish, seaweed and sake were added to the diet of Amaterasu. At the same time, Meiji himself is still brought only rice and water.

A pilgrimage road along the Isuzu River leads to the inner sanctuary. Next to it there are shops and eateries where a tired traveler can buy various food or souvenirs. In the old days, you could even come across a red light district near the road. The road eventually leads to a bridge over the Isuzu River leading to the grounds of the Inner Shrine. Previously, it was supposed to ford the river, thereby performing the rite of ablution. Now, however, all you need to do is wash your hands and rinse your mouth. A wide road leads from the bridge to the sanctuary itself. It is recommended to walk along its side, as the middle is reserved for kami. Two pairs of torii lead to the shrine. Next to the first there is a pavilion for ablutions, temizuya. Not far from it you can find a descent to the river, where you can perform a more complete rite of ablution. Next to it is the shrine of Takimatsuri-ookami, the deity of the source of the Isuzu River. After passing the second torii, you can see the stables in which the sinme lives - the horse of the deity. According to ancient traditions, one such horse lives in the inner sanctuary, and two in the outer. Also, sacred shinkei roosters are kept in the Ise Shrine. These roosters are revered as messengers of Amaterasu.

It is believed that kami love everything new and clean. Therefore, all buildings must be regularly rebuilt. In Ise, these traditions are strictly observed and every 20 years a new dwelling is built for Amaterasu and Toyouke.

The shrines were last updated in 2013. Construction cost approximately 57 billion yen (which was about $550 million).

 

History

Initially, the shrines of Amaterasu and Okunitama were located in the imperial chambers and roamed along with the imperial family. In the fourth century, Emperor Sujin was terrified of the proximity to the deities and ordered their shrines to be taken to the village of Kasanui, located near the then location of the palace. In the fourth century, Emperor Suinin, who inherited the throne from Sujin, set out to find a place for a permanent shrine to Amaterasu. The search for the place was entrusted to Princess Yamato-hime no mikoto. When the girl reached Ise, Amaterasu herself turned to her and said that it was here that she wanted to live. The princess herself became the first of the sayo princesses to play the role of high priestesses and mediums at the same time. The tradition of appointing princesses as priestesses of the most important sanctuaries ceased in the 12th century, along with the decline of imperial power. In 478, almost 500 years after the founding of the Amaterasu shrine, the shrine of the goddess Toyouke was also moved to Ise by the will of the goddess. Since it was located near the Miyagawa River, which is the boundary of the holy land, Toyouke Shrine became known as the Outer Shrine or the Geku Chambers. The shrine of Amaterasu was given the name of the inner shrine of Naiku.

It was believed that the fate of the imperial family, and with it the rest of the country, depended on the correctness and purity of the rites performed in Ise. No private interests should have interfered with this process, and all rituals were aimed only at achieving the good of the state as a whole. Therefore, the Ise Shrine was maintained only with public money and no private offerings were accepted. However, in the 12th century, power passed into the hands of the shoguns and financial support from the state ceased. This forced the priests to break the age-old traditions. The ancient norito were changed, and the Shinto purification rite of the harae was presented as a prerequisite for attaining Buddhist enlightenment. Nevertheless, in conditions of general instability, the material well-being of the temple was out of the question. Until the beginning of the 17th century, when the country was united by the Tokugawa clan, financial support was limited to rare donations from the powerful of this world [2]. Due to constant civil strife, a special tax for the maintenance of temples was no longer collected, and as a result, there was no money left even for the most important ritual - the renewal of the god's dwelling. The tradition of rebuilding the sanctuaries was interrupted for more than a hundred years. The rebuilding of the inner sanctuary did not take place from 1462 to 1585, and it gradually collapsed due to lack of funding. The outer sanctuary was last rebuilt in 1434 and burned down in 1487. It was rumored that the shingtai of the corresponding deity was also burned. The outer sanctuary was rebuilt only in 1563. Due to the lack of the necessary facilities, some of the rituals were reduced, and some were completely canceled. When at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century the authorities set about restoring the temple complex, it had to be rebuilt almost from scratch.

With the advent of peace, the temple engaged in active propaganda among the common population. For this, entire corporations of respectable mentors (onsi or axis) were formed, who went to the provinces to agitate the population to make a pilgrimage to the temple. Previously, this was forbidden, and later it was impossible due to constant strife. However, with the advent of peace, these pilgrimages became extremely popular. In their wanderings, the mentors handed out tablets, strips of paper or matter with the name of Amaterasu. By the 19th century, 90% of families received such amulets, called jingu taima and revered as a kind of receptacle for the kami spirit.

 

Supreme Priest
From the 7th to the 14th centuries, the main priestesses of the sanctuary were the princesses of the Japanese imperial house - the saigū[5]. According to the Man'yoshu chronicle, the first priestess was Princess Okunohime-miko, daughter of Emperor Temmu during the Asuka period. Priestesses in Ise are also mentioned in the novels of Genji Monogatari and Ise Monogatari.

Holidays
December 31 - January 1 - New Year
April 5 - April 7 - Kagura-sai, a festival of court music and dance
mid-May - Otaue-sai, rice field festival
June 15 - June 17 - Tsukunami-sai
autumn equinox - Kagura-sai, a festival of court music and dance
October 15 - October 17 - Gangname-sai, rice harvest festival
November 23 - Niiname-sai, the feast of the consecration of rice
December 15 - December 17 - Tsukunami-sai