Latest news with #IseJingu
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Sacred Logs Carried to Famous Ise Jingu Shrine; Ritual is Part of Regular Renewal of Shrine Facilities
The Yomiuri Shimbun A sacred log for the Geku sanctuary of Ise Jingu shrine is pulled down the street in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on Tuesday. ISE, Mie – As part of a once-every-20-years Shinto tradition, sacred logs were ceremonially carried to the Ise Jingu shrine complex in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on Monday and Tuesday. The procession with the logs was part of long-term preparations for Shikinen Sengu, a tradition in which the main shrines, relevant facilities and holy treasures of Ise Jingu are renewed every 20 years. It will next take place in 2033. On Monday, three holy logs for the Naiku inner sanctuary were brought in by river. On Tuesday, another three logs for the Geku outer sanctuary were loaded on a wooden cart and pulled by about 400 local residents and others down the street in Ise along a roughly 2-kilometer route. Throughout the procession, people called out, 'Enya, enya!' On arrival at the Geku shrine, the logs were hauled into the shrine's sacred precinct by shrine employees and local residents before being welcomed by Chief Priest Asataka Kuni. After a holy ritual, the logs were safely placed in the Gojoden house on the Geku grounds. A series of rituals and events related to the logs — which had started with their ceremonial cutting in Agematsu, Nagano Prefecture, on June 3 — thus came to an end.
NHK
4 days ago
- General
- NHK
Sacred wood for historical ceremony transported to Ise Jingu shrine in Japan
Sacred logs were transported to Ise Jingu in central Japan's Mie Prefecture in preparation for a centuries-old ceremony to rebuild the shrine's structures. The timber will be used for the "Shikinen Sengu" ceremony, a tradition that dates back about 1,300 years. Once every 20 years, the shrine buildings are completely rebuilt at a site adjacent to the main sanctuary. The current relocation is scheduled for completion in 2034. The first sacred logs for the new structures were transported into the shrine on Monday and Tuesday. The wood was cut from forests in Nagano and Gifu prefectures and will be used to create vessels that house the shrine's sacred objects of worship. On Monday, about 300 people in black coats and straw hats pulled the logs destined for the Naiku, or Inner Shrine, upstream along the Isuzu River. They hauled the large Japanese cypress logs for about 1.5 kilometers, singing traditional work songs. A visitor from Hiroshima Prefecture said it was impressive to see the huge logs from national forests, and that it is amazing that the tradition has continued for 1,300 years. On Tuesday, a ritual was held to carry another set of sacred logs into the Geku, or Outer Shrine. Around 400 people pulled the logs for about 2 kilometers through the streets of central Ise City. A local spectator said he hoped the "Shikinen Sengu" would continue for future generations, so his grandchildren could see it. Another visitor said she was happy to see the ceremony for the third time, and that it was pleasant to hear the participants' voices in unison.
Japan Forward
19-05-2025
- General
- Japan Forward
Preserving National Character, Sustaining Society as Ise Shrine Rites Start
このページを 日本語 で読む We should respect and preserve the Japanese national character, which embodies the long history and unique culture of the nation. A series of rites began in May that will lead up to the Shikinen Sengu ceremony in 2033. That time-honored ceremony takes place once every 20 years. It involves rebuilding the Ise Grand Shrine's main buildings and the transfer of its shinza , the seat of its enshrined deity, Amaterasu Omikami. The first two sacred rites, the Yamaguchisai and Konomoto festivals, were solemnly held recently, following ancient custom. Two deities are worshipped at the Ise Grand Shrine, which is also known as Ise Jingu. The first is Amaterasu Omikami, the earliest ancestor of the Imperial family and the patron deity of the Japanese people. She is joined by Toyouke no Omikami, the guardian deity of food, clothing, shelter, and all industries. The Shikinen Sengu ceremony is a major festival in which the shrine sanctuary, home of the sacred treasures and the shinza , along with furnishings and apparel, are renewed. The Emperor himself decides the date and time for this ceremony, which has been held for over 1,300 years. Its events are closely linked to the national character. A Shinto priest and a guardian deity (second from the right) perform the banquet ritual at the Yamaguchi Festival, the first rituall of the Shikinen Sengu. May 2, 2025, at the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture. This is the 63rd performance of the Shikinen Sengu. The start of its series of solemn rites affords us a golden opportunity to consider the ceremony's significance. Through its rituals, the essence of Japan is developed further as it is passed on to future generations. The Yamaguchi Festival, held on May 2, is a daytime ceremony to pray for safe felling and transportation of the timber for the new buildings. On the same day, the Kimoto Festival is an evening ceremony to worship the kami dwelling in the tree to be used for the Shin no Mihashira (sacred core pillar) in the center of the floor of the new main sanctuary. All Ise Shrine buildings are due to be rebuilt eight years from now. Before then, about 30 events and rituals are planned. These include the Okihiki ceremony in which local residents bring in the needed lumber into the shrine site, a Jichinsai Shinto groundbreaking ceremony, and a Ritchu ceremony to erect the pillars of the main hall. The central ceremony, the Shikinen Sengu rite, will take place in the fall of 2033. That is when the Yata no Kagami sacred mirror, symbolizing Amaterasu Omikami, will be moved to the new sanctuary's Inner Shrine (Naikaku). In 2013, the last enactment of the Shikinen Sengu, the ceremonies cost approximately ￥55 billion JPY (nearly $378 million USD ). These costs were covered by the shrine's own funds and donations from citizens and businesses across the country. Emperor Tenmu (c 673-686) established the Shikinen Sengu system during the Asuka period (538 CE- 710 CE). The ceremony was first performed during the reign of his immediate successor, Emperor Jito (c 690-697). Ise Grand Shrine rebuilds its main shrine every 20 years. This photograph is from the ceremony in October 2013. During the Sengoku civil war era, the performance of the ceremony was temporarily discontinued. However, it was thereafter revived, thanks to the patronage of the hegemon Oda Nobunaga and his successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who followed Nobunaga's wishes. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate covered all the costs, as did the national government following the Meiji Restoration. Under the postwar Constitution, in line with the separation of religion and state, the Japanese government is no longer involved. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the Shikinen Sengu was originally a festival for the entire nation of Japan. Among its significant features, the ceremony preserves ancient architectural styles to this day. Even though the buildings are repeatedly torn down, they are newly rebuilt in exactly the same way. The techniques for fabricating the sacred shrine treasures have also been faithfully passed down. Through preserving these traditions and constantly recreating them, the nation's essence can live on forever. In today's world, where there are global calls for a sustainable society, we should be proud of our Japanese ancestors, who have been practicing that very thing for over a millennium. Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
The Age
27-04-2025
- The Age
The ancient Japanese tradition that's unknown to most tourists
The elderly women sit in a semicircle by a smouldering fire, warming up after diving for shellfish delicacies in the cool waters off the coast of Toba in Japan. These women, called ama – Japanese for women of the sea – are part of a tradition spanning thousands of years. Their diving practice is mentioned in ancient classical literature and there's a reference to ama dating back to AD927 in Japan's Heian period. Toba, at the north-eastern end of the Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture, once flourished as the castle town of the Kuki family, who ruled the region from the 16th century. Today, with its many offshore islands, the peninsula is a popular holiday destination for beach-goers, surfers and seafood lovers. But it is the living legends, the ama, whom I have come to see. The ama of this area traditionally presented abalone to the shrine of Ise Jingu and imperial emperors. Today, we visit two traditional diving huts, called amagoyas, and are warmly welcomed. At our first stop, two ama, aged in their 70s, with weathered faces and warm smiles, tell us about their life in the sea. They burst into laughter as we try to converse by nodding, smiling and pointing and then resort to our interpreter. She asks if we saw the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, where a glamorised version of an ama emerges from the sea. The ama laugh at its unrealistic portrayal. We hear how, as young girls, these women started diving without oxygen tanks and wetsuits, collecting abalone and shellfish. Reiko Nomura, 77, says she's a fourth-generation ama and very proud of her profession. She was taught everything she knows by an elder ama and she, in turn, has taught others. The ama have developed a unique method of breath control to protect themselves from the bends. After surfacing they let out a long whistle. Their sea whistling, described as a mournful melody, is rated among the top 100 soundscapes of Japan. At one time, ama dived for Akoya pearl oysters but this has long been abandoned because of the rise in cultivated pearls, a process invented in Toba by Kokichi Mikimoto in the late 19th century. The coastline here is rugged, with pebbly bays and rocky headlands, and is an ideal habitat for sea urchin, abalone, various forms of seaweeds and Pacific spiny lobster. Collecting abalone is hard work and the ama use a long stick, descending eight to 10 metres, either diving from small boats or swimming out from the beach. They only have as long as their breath holds - about 60 seconds - to prise the bounty from the rocks. The youngest of the ama stay in the water for up to four hours a day, resting and chatting with friends on a floating wooden box. Often they work just with their husband and dive from a boat with a lifeline and a weight that helps them descend quickly. They dive as deep as 30 metres to collect abalone, shells and agar-agar.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-04-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The ancient Japanese tradition that's unknown to most tourists
The elderly women sit in a semicircle by a smouldering fire, warming up after diving for shellfish delicacies in the cool waters off the coast of Toba in Japan. These women, called ama – Japanese for women of the sea – are part of a tradition spanning thousands of years. Their diving practice is mentioned in ancient classical literature and there's a reference to ama dating back to AD927 in Japan's Heian period. Toba, at the north-eastern end of the Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture, once flourished as the castle town of the Kuki family, who ruled the region from the 16th century. Today, with its many offshore islands, the peninsula is a popular holiday destination for beach-goers, surfers and seafood lovers. But it is the living legends, the ama, whom I have come to see. The ama of this area traditionally presented abalone to the shrine of Ise Jingu and imperial emperors. Today, we visit two traditional diving huts, called amagoyas, and are warmly welcomed. At our first stop, two ama, aged in their 70s, with weathered faces and warm smiles, tell us about their life in the sea. They burst into laughter as we try to converse by nodding, smiling and pointing and then resort to our interpreter. She asks if we saw the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, where a glamorised version of an ama emerges from the sea. The ama laugh at its unrealistic portrayal. We hear how, as young girls, these women started diving without oxygen tanks and wetsuits, collecting abalone and shellfish. Reiko Nomura, 77, says she's a fourth-generation ama and very proud of her profession. She was taught everything she knows by an elder ama and she, in turn, has taught others. The ama have developed a unique method of breath control to protect themselves from the bends. After surfacing they let out a long whistle. Their sea whistling, described as a mournful melody, is rated among the top 100 soundscapes of Japan. At one time, ama dived for Akoya pearl oysters but this has long been abandoned because of the rise in cultivated pearls, a process invented in Toba by Kokichi Mikimoto in the late 19th century. The coastline here is rugged, with pebbly bays and rocky headlands, and is an ideal habitat for sea urchin, abalone, various forms of seaweeds and Pacific spiny lobster. Collecting abalone is hard work and the ama use a long stick, descending eight to 10 metres, either diving from small boats or swimming out from the beach. They only have as long as their breath holds - about 60 seconds - to prise the bounty from the rocks. The youngest of the ama stay in the water for up to four hours a day, resting and chatting with friends on a floating wooden box. Often they work just with their husband and dive from a boat with a lifeline and a weight that helps them descend quickly. They dive as deep as 30 metres to collect abalone, shells and agar-agar.
