Recently, power spots or power stones attract people.
I visited Ise Jingu shrine last week. Visiting this place was not the first time for me, so this time what interested me was the power stones because they are popular everywhere in Japan in these days.
The power stones of Ise Jingu are in the Outer Shrine. One is just in front of the main building. It is called "Mitsu-ishi (三ツ石)".
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/5a/ec/204b50f0d21a43ae04b168ddce1dc0f1.jpg)
(Above: Mitsu-ishi)
Here is the place where a ritual of purification is performed at the ceremony called "Shikinen Sengu" carried out every 20 years.
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/7a/7c/ab620bce96d63f98aa82248f210e971e.jpg)
(Above: Mitsu-ishi is the three stones in the center )
The other is a stone bridge near "Mitsu-ishi". It is said that this stone was placed at the entrance of an ancient tomb of the Imperial Family.
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/63/4c/42ba1cbc7b274541a846d47b35989f8b.jpg)
(Above: Tortoise stone serving as a bridge)
Although it is a natural stone, it looks like a tortoise. So it is called "Tortoise stone (亀石)".
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/32/8e/c6b67dc3e61d82289810e8e1c6508b6d.jpg)
(Above: The head of "tortoise")
They say those power stones emit strong energy.
However when I visited there 10 years ago, nobody (including me) stopped to look at those stones.
At that time, I thought "Mitsu-ishi" was a special stone because it was enclosed with a rope which represents a holy place.
But I never noticed that there was the stone bridge. I crossed it without knowing.
Now those stones seem to attract people rather than the shrine itself. That is a boom.
※ For further information about Ise Jingu, please read my previous blog (...and all the others, 2011-03-30 and 2011-04-07) if you like.