Although Ise Jingu (伊勢神宮) is very popular as a spiritual place these days, it has always been a sacred place in Japan since ancient times.
Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture is one of the most ancient and important shrines in Japan. The origin dates back to two thousand years ago; the history appears in Japanese mythology, "Nihon Shoki" .
The two main buildings of Ise Jingu are the Inner Shrine (内宮) and the Outer Shrine (外宮).
The object of worship of the Inner Shrine is the sun deity (天照大御神) who is believed to bring bountiful harvests.
Five hundred years later, the Outer Shrine was built making a pair with the Inner Shrine. Enshrined here is the deity of food.
Ise Jingu consists of these two shrines and 123 other affiliated shrines; they stand surrounded by a deep forest.
The architectural style of Ise Jingu is unique. It is said that the buildings are modeled after rice granaries in the Yayoi period when rice cultivation began in Japan.
So the buildings are simple and plain; they are made of unvarnished wood and the roofs are thatched.
These buildings have regularly been rebuilt once every 20 years since about 1300 years ago. It is called "Shikinen Sengu (式年遷宮)".
There are some reasons for the rebuilding: one reason is to keep the building looking good, and the other is to pass on the original style to coming generations, and moreover, it is believed that transferring the deities into the new hall restores the deities' power.
The photo above is the Inner Shrine which was newly rebuilt for a Shikinen Sengu. This is a picture from the special guide book of Ise Jingu. Usually the Inner Shrine and the Outer Shrine are surrounded by fences like the pictures below. So you can't see the whole buildings.
(Above left: The Inner Shrine/ Above right: The Outer Shrine)
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