Ise Shrine Tours & Travel

Club Tourism tours and trips to Ise Shrine. Ise Shrine, also known as "Oise-san" or "Daijingu-san", is the spiritual home of the Japanese people. Tour (trip) reservations are easy.

A spiritual home for the Japanese people that has remained unchanged for 2000 years

Ise Shrine

The second torii gate of the Imperial Grand Shrine of Ise (Ise Shrine Administration Office)

What kind of "place" is Ise Shrine?

Ise Grand Shrine is a special sacred place for the Japanese people, where Amaterasu Omikami, who is considered the most sacred deity in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, is enshrined, where the Japanese Imperial Family continues to perform rituals for Amaterasu Omikami even today, and where the tradition of "connecting and conveying" through the Shikinen Sengu ceremony is still alive.
To put it simply, it is a place where my normally hunched back can be straightened, and it is the spiritual home of the Japanese people, where the lives of gods and humans have coexisted since ancient times.

Annex: Kamimasuzukidono Shrine

Many gods who assist Amaterasu Omikami

About 500 years after Amaterasu Omikami was enshrined in Ise Province, Toyouke Omikami was welcomed from Tanba Province as the god in charge of food. Thus, the Inner Shrine, which enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, and the Outer Shrine, which enshrines Toyouke Omikami, were established, but the Inner Shrine also has 10 branch shrines, the Outer Shrine has 4 branch shrines, and there are also 109 auxiliary shrines, subordinate shrines, and subordinate shrines, making the Ise "Grand Shrine" a group of 125 shrines in total.
Even before Amaterasu Omikami was enshrined in Ise Province, many local gods who supported the lives of the people were enshrined there, and the auxiliary and subordinate shrines that make up the shrine are the gods that were originally enshrined in Ise. In addition, gods related to the necessities of life for Amaterasu Omikami, such as food, clothing, and shelter, came to be enshrined, and these are the shrines currently under its jurisdiction.
In other words, the Ise Grand Shrine is the prototype of Japanese life, where various gods are enshrined in nature and people have lived amid its blessings.

Kanname Festival (Island Shrine Administration Office)

The annual festival at the shrine

The festivals, which follow the ancient customs of the shrine, remind us of the gratitude we modern people have for our ancestors and nature, something that we have almost forgotten.
In particular, the most important festival at the shrine, the Kanname-sai, is the most grand festival of the year to give thanks for the blessings of nature, and is still held in almost the same format as it was in the Heian period. Many of the shrine's festivals throughout the year are related to the Kanname-sai, such as the Kanda Shimotane Festival in Apr., the Kanda Onidai Hatsu in May, and the Nukiho Festival in Sep.. After these rituals are held Oct., when autumn brings with it a good harvest, the Kanname-sai is held at the Outer Shrine on the 16th and at the Inner Shrine on the 17th, in the spirit of welcoming the new year.

New Oshiki Taga Shrine

What is Shikinen Sengu?

A once-every-20-year grand festival in which the shrine building is rebuilt

At Ise Grand Shrine, a Shikinen Sengu ceremony is held once every 20 years, in which the shrine buildings that enshrine the gods are rebuilt and the sacred object of worship is moved to another location. Shrines across the country also carry out Sengu and relocation ceremonies to repair or replace their main buildings, but a major feature of Ise Grand Shrine is that there are two sites on which the shrine buildings are built. From east to west, and from west to east. The gods of Ise have been transferred every 20 years. The climax of the Shikinen Sengu ceremony is the Sengyo ceremony, in which the sacred object of worship is moved to the new shrine. However, in addition to this ceremony, there are more than 30 festivals and events called Sengu Shosai, which are held one after the other.

About Shikinen Sengu

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Geku, Naiku, 125 shrines

Amaterasu Omikami, the deity enshrined at Ise Naiku, is the imperial ancestor and was originally enshrined in the same bed and hall as the emperor, that is, within the Imperial Palace in Yamato. However, due to the concept of "separation of gods and humans," an ideal site was sought, and it took approximately 90 years for the deity to be relocated to its current location in Ise.

Yamatohime-no-Mikoto: Created by Fumiko Abe (doll artist living in Ise City)

Searching for a place to enshrine Amaterasu Omikami

The procession of Princess Yamato

During the reign of Emperor Sujin, the 10th emperor after Emperor Jimmu, the emperor decided to enshrine Amaterasu Omikami, who had been enshrined in his own palace, outside the palace in Kasanui-no-mura, Yamato, for the sake of the people, as a measure against epidemics.
The next emperor, the 11th emperor Suinin, wanted to worship the gods even more respectfully, so he had his daughter Yamatohime search for a suitable place to worship Amaterasu Omikami. Yamatohime left Kasanuimura and traveled to various countries, including Iga, Omi, and Mino, and finally built the Inner Shrine of Amaterasu Omikami in the beautiful country of Ise, and the history of the shrine began.

Toyouke Grand Shrine (Shrine Administration Office)

During the reign of Emperor Yuryaku, Amaterasu Omikami

Toyouke Omikami was invited and the Geku was established.

During the reign of Emperor Yuryaku, 500 years after Amaterasu Omikami was enshrined in the bountiful "Land of Eating" Ise, Amaterasu Omikami said, "I would like Toyuki no Omikami, the god in charge of food who lives in Manai, Tanba Province, to come to me." Then, upon receiving this oracle, Toyouke no Omikami was enshrined in Yamadahara, Watarai County, Tanba Province, and a shrine was built in the Outer Shrine to offer food to Amaterasu Omikami in the mornings and evenings.
The Inner Shrine, dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, and the Outer Shrine, dedicated to Toyouke Omikami, were established here, and Amaterasu Omikami commanded that "first hold the festival for Toyouke Omikami, and then hold the festival for her own shrine," so it is considered best to worship from the Outer Shrine to the Inner Shrine.

Supervised shrine: Oshiodono Shrine (Oshio-yakisho and Oshio-kuchisho)

"Shrine" is a shrine that supports the lives of local gods and goddesses, with Amaterasu Omikami at the center.

Where the Gods Gather

By order of the Imperial Court, Amaterasu Omikami was enshrined in the Inner Shrine of Ise, and Toyouke Omikami was also welcomed to the Outer Shrine. The gods that had been enshrined in Ise from before were also integrated as auxiliary and subordinate shrines, and various gods related to food, clothing, and shelter, such as rice, salt, sake, and hemp, were added as shrines under their jurisdiction, and thus the "Jingu" was established.
In other words, "Jingu" is made up of 125 shrines, including the main shrines of the Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine, 14 auxiliary shrines, 43 auxiliary shrines, 24 subordinate shrines, 34 subordinate shrines, and 8 subordinate shrines, collectively known as "Jingu."
In addition, the land where the offerings for the festivals are produced and prepared is also distributed throughout the Ise area, just like the 125 shrines. Ancient rituals are respected, and the staff produce and prepare the offerings with the utmost care to ensure purity.

Takihara Shrine

The appeal of touring 125 shrines

When touring the 125 shrines, there are no crowds like when visiting the Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine, and you can feel the unchanging breath of nature and the original Japanese scenery of the four seasons, such as forests filled with fresh air and divine cedars stretching up to the sky. The poem that expresses the gratitude of the shrine, "I do not know what it is that you are here for, but tears flow from my eyes in gratitude," is said to have been written by Saigyo when he visited the Outer Shrine, and this feeling is also strongly felt at the auxiliary and subordinate shrines of the 125 shrines.

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Okage Yokocho - A town where representative buildings from the Iseji route from the Edo to Meiji periods have been relocated and recreated.

Okage Yokocho opened in Jul. 1993, the year of the 61st Ise Grand Shrine Shikinen Sengu Ceremony, in the middle of Oharaimachi, the town in front of the inner shrine of Ise Grand Shrine, with a feeling of gratitude for the "thanks" given to Ise Shrine. The charming street is lined with many delicious restaurants and shops selling Mie region specialties. Enjoy a stroll through the town that feels like you've traveled back in time to the good old days.

Oharaimachi - The town in front of the torii gate that continues from Uji at the Naiku Shrine

Oharaimachi is a thriving town in front of the Naiku Shrine. The cobblestone street that stretches for about 800 meters from Uji Uji along the Isuzu River is lined with gabled, hipped roof and gabled roof styles unique to Ise Shrine, and is lined with many souvenir shops, restaurants and merchants.
After your visit, you can enjoy a walk around the town, so please do drop by.

Etiquette for visiting a shrine

Once you pass through the torii gate, you enter a sacred space. Please observe basic manners when visiting the shrine.

Order of worship

Ise Grand Shrine has an Inner Shrine and an Outer Shrine, but the traditional custom is to visit the Outer Shrine first.
After visiting the Outer Shrine, please visit the Inner Shrine and enjoy the sacred atmosphere of Ise Shrine with proper etiquette.

Toyouke Daijingu Geku

Kotaijingu Inner Shrine

We will explain how to worship with photos.

Manners at the torii gate and temizusha (purification fountain)

Cleanse yourself at the temizuya (purification fountain).

Take the ladle in your right hand, scoop up water, and pour it over your left hand to cleanse it.
Switch the ladle to your left hand and rinse your right hand in the same way.
Hold the container in your right hand again, pour some water into your left hand, and rinse your mouth.
After rinsing your mouth, pour water over your left hand again to cleanse it.
To remove any remaining water, hold the ladle upright, rinse the handle, and then return it to its original position.

Worship before the gods

Please follow steps 1 to 4.

Perform two deep bows and clap your hands twice.
I pray with my hands together.
Perform one deep bow.
Finally, give a deep bow before exiting.

On your way back, you should also bow when you pass through the torii gate.