Ise Jingu
Ise Jingu, formally called “Jingu”, is one of the most important sacred sites in Shinto, visited by about ten million people every year. It includes 125 jinja, centered around Kotaijingu (Naiku), dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, the ancestral kami of the Tenno and the Imperial family, and Toyo’uke-daijingu (Geku), dedicated to Toyo’uke-no-Omikami, the kami responsible for the food offerings to Amaterasu-Omikami.
All these jinja are found in Ise, Mie Prefecture, in central Japan. More than 1,500 rituals are conducted here yearly to pray for the prosperity of the Imperial family and the peace of the nation.
Every twenty years, the main sanctuaries are rebuilt and the kami moved to the new structures in a ritual known as the Shikinen Sengu, which will next take place in 2033.
The Enshrinement of Amaterasu-Omikami
Amaterasu-Omikami was not always enshrined at Ise Jingu, but chose its location herself and guided her priestess to the site. Later, she called another kami, Toyo’uke-no-Omikami, to join her there.
Matsuri at Jingu
Every year, priests at Jingu perform over 1,500 rites, called matsuri, to honour the kami and pray for peace on behalf of the Emperor.
Shikinen Sengu
Every twenty years the buildings of the main sanctuaries at Ise Jingu are rebuilt and the kami conducted to their new homes in solemn procession. This is the most important Shinto rite in Japan.