- Address: 1 Ujitachicho, Ise, Mie Prefecture 516-0023, Japan
- Phone: +81 596-24-1111
- Opening hours: daily 05: 00-19: 00
In the small Japanese city of Ise is located the oldest temple, which is one of the main shrines of Japan . For a long time it was believed that all the rituals that were conducted on its territory, directly influenced the fate of the imperial family and the whole country.
History of Ise Dzingu
According to Japanese legends, the sanctuary was built for deity Amaterasu by omics and her assistant Toeeka. At first it was located right in the chambers of the emperor. After several centuries, Emperor Suining ordered the princess Yamato-hime-no mikoto to find a more suitable place for the sanctuary. Since then, it is the princesses who are the priestesses of the main Shinto temple in Ise.
From the very beginning it was decided that this temple will be kept at the expense of the state, because its activities directly influenced the life of the country. But with the advent of the shoguns, the financing of the sanctuary of Ise Dzinghu ceased. Until the XVII century it was only a rare donation. This led to dilapidation and partial destruction of the temple complex. In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, restoration work began, during which the Ise Dzinggu Temple was reconstructed from scratch.
Structure of Ise Dzingu
This Shinto shrine is located on the territory of the national park, behind a high wooden fence. It is divided into two complexes:
- Nike - the inner sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu;
- Geku - the outer sanctuary dedicated to the assistant goddess - cook Toeuke.
Both parts of the temple of Ise Dzingu are separated from each other by 4 km. Up until 1945, the Miyagawa River flowed between them and the rest of the world, which served as a sacred border. At that time, as well as now, access to the main Shinto shrine in Ise was only for high-ranking priests and members of the imperial family.
In addition to the main and secondary sanctuaries, the following subsidiary farms are located here:
- gardens and orchards;
- salt mill;
- stables for the horse of the deity (sinme);
- a chicken coop for sacred cocks (Sinkei);
- premises where the sake is made.
It is believed that spiritual grounds exist in the territory of the Ise temple in Japan, kami. For them, special dishes are cooked on clean fire, which are served on plain earthenware plates and in cups.
From the outer sanctuary to Nike leads a pilgrimage path. Along it work souvenir shops and small shops in which tourists and pilgrims can buy the necessary food. The pilgrim road leads to the bridge, located above the Isuzu River, and from it to the inner temple of Ise Dzingu. Previously, before visiting the shrine, it was necessary to perform a bathing ceremony in the Isuzu River, but now it is enough just to wash your hands and mouth. For this, the Temizuji pavilion is provided. If necessary, anyone can go down to the river and conduct a complete bathing ceremony.
It is believed that the spiritual deities Kami love cleanliness and novelty, so every 20 years in Ise Dzing, new sanctuaries are built. The last reconstruction was carried out in 1993, and the next one will be in 2023. Despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of volunteers are involved in the construction, it costs several tens of millions of dollars.
Activities of Ise Dzingu
After a long isolation of the temple complex, during which he was excluded from state funding, his active propaganda began. This was done by the honorable teachers (onsi) who visited the provinces and agitated the local population to make a pilgrimage to the main Shinto shrine of Japan in Ise. The matter is that before this agitation was banned, but with the onset of peace the number of pilgrims increased sharply.
Thanks to the activity of onsi, which distributed to the local population pieces of cloth and paper with the name Amaterasu, by the nineteenth century, 90% of families already had amulet dzingu.
Now in the territory of the temple of Ise Dzingu, it is noted:
- the festival of rice fields (Otau-say);
- a feast of consecration of rice (Niiname-sei);
- the harvest festival of rice (Kanname-sei) and others.
Twice a year, in the middle of June and December, here celebrate the holiday Tsukunami-say. Before you go on a trip to the Ise temple in Japan, you need to remember that it is forbidden to photograph in its territory. Also, it is not allowed to smoke, drink and eat here. For this purpose, special areas are provided. Before visiting the main sanctuaries, one should perform a ritual of washing the hands and mouth of the Temizu. Only after this, pilgrims begin the main prayer.
How to get to the temple of Ise Dzingu?
This sacred place is located 4 km south of the city center of Ise . You can get to it by metro or car. Moving along the roads of Prefectural Route 37 or Route 32, you can reach the sanctuary of Ise Dzing in 17-20 minutes.
In order to get to the temple by metro, you must first get to the station Outer Miyamae. Here every day at 17:49 a train is formed, which in less than 30 minutes delivers tourists to Ise Dzingu. The ticket costs $ 3.76.