Ise Grand Shrine: A Sacred Journey and Japan’s Timeless Tradition

#japantrip #ise Visiting Kotai Jingu (Ise Grand Shrine) is considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Japanese, as it is the most sacred shrine in the country. Among Japan’s 80,000 shrines, Ise Jingu holds a special status—not only for its over 2,000 years of history but also as the spiritual home of the Japanese people and the head shrine of all others. Located just a 1.5-hour Kintetsu Limited Express ride from Nagoya Station to Ise City, the journey begins with a visit to the Outer Shrine (Geku), which enshrines Toyouke Omikami, the guardian deity of food, clothing, shelter, and industry. After purifying your hands at the chozuya, you can offer your respects before taking a short bus ride to the Inner Shrine (Naiku), dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the ancestral deity of the Imperial Family. One of the most fascinating aspects of Ise Jingu is the Shikinen Sengu, a unique tradition in which the shrine buildings are reconstructed every 20 years, and the deity is ceremonially moved to a new shrine. This practice, reflected in the empty plots of land next to the current shrines, embodies the Japanese reverence for renewal and continuity.