Ise Temple

Music Pavilion

Ise Temple consists of two complexes. The first, the inner sanctuary of Nike, is dedicated to the progenitor of the imperial family, the goddess Amaterasu . The second, the outer sanctuary of Gaku, is dedicated to the goddess of food, Toyouke, who plays the role of cook at Amaterasu. The distance between the outer and inner shrines is about 4 kilometers. Until 1945, the temple was separated from the rest of the world by the Miyagawa River, performing the role of the border of the sacred land. The priests were forbidden to cross this river, so as not to violate the purity necessary for the ministry. Violation of this ban, as it was believed, will bring many troubles to the country. Until the XII century, when the power passed into the hands of the shoguns , the priests sometimes used this prohibition, blackmailing the government that in the event of non-compliance with their demands, they would cross the sacred river and personally appear in the capital. ^[2]

Inside the huge temple complex there are various secondary shrines, as well as part-time farms. In particular, Ise has its own gardens, vegetable gardens, a salt mill and the production of sake. In these fields and gardens, food is produced for the worshiped kami in the sanctuary territory. All of it is cooked in the Toukuke Shrine, which is mined on pure fire solely by friction. Kami dishes are simple clay plates and cups without any painting or enamel. They are also made on the territory of Ise. It is believed that kami should receive their meals twice a day. Amaterasu used to eat cooked rice, as well as fruits and vegetables grown on the temple grounds. During the Meiji period , with the return of power to the emperor, dried tuna, sea bream, clams, seaweed and sake were added to the Amaterasu diet. At the same time, Meiji itself is still offered only rice and water. ^[2]

A pilgrimage road stretching along the Isuzu River leads to the inner sanctuary. Next to it are shops and eateries in which a tired traveler can buy various snacks or souvenirs. In the old days, near the road one could even meet the red light district . The road eventually leads to the bridge over the Isuzu River, leading to the territory of the inner sanctuary. Previously, instead of crossing the bridge, it was supposed to cross the river ford, thus performing the rite of ablution. Now, however, you just need to wash your hands and rinse your mouth. A wide road leads from the bridge to the sanctuary itself. It is recommended to go along its side, as the middle is intended for kami. However, now few people remember this. Two tori pairs lead to the sanctuary. Next to the first is a pavilion for ablutions, temizuya . Not far from it you can find the descent to the river, where you can perform a more complete ritual ablution. Next to it is the Takimatsuri Shrine, the deity of the source of the Isuzu River. Passing through the second torii, one can see the stables in which Sinme lives - the horse of the deity. According to ancient traditions, there is one such horse in the inner sanctuary, and two in the outer one. Also in the sanctuary of Ise hold sacred roosters synkey. These roosters are honored by the ambassadors of Amaterasu. ^[2]

It is believed that Kami love everything new and clean. Therefore, all buildings should be rebuilt regularly. In Ise, these traditions are strictly observed and every 20 years a new dwelling is erected for Amaterasu and Toyouke. The sanctuaries were last updated in 1993. For this, about 200 thousand people were attracted, most of whom were volunteers and participated in the construction for free. Nevertheless, despite a significant number of volunteers, the construction cost about $ 30 million. ^[2]

Originally, the shrines of Amaterasu and Okunitama were located in the imperial chambers and roamed with the imperial family. In the fourth century, Emperor Sujin was intimidated by the neighborhood with the deities and ordered to bring their sanctuaries to the village of Kasanui, located near the then location of the palace. In the fourth century, Emperor Suyinin, who inherited the throne from Sudzin, set out to find a place for the permanent sanctuary of Amaterasu. The search for the place was entrusted to Princess Yamato-Hime no Mikoto . When the girl reached Ise, Amaterasu turned to her herself and said that it is here that she wants to dwell. The princess herself became the first of the princess Saio, who played the role of high priestess and mediums at the same time. The tradition of appointing princesses the priestesses of the most important shrines ceased in the 12th century, together with the decline of imperial power. In the year 478, almost 500 years after the foundation of the Amaterasu sanctuary, the shrine of the goddess Toyouke was also displaced to Ise by the will of the goddess. Since it is located near the Miyagawa River, the protruding edge of the holy land, Toyouke Shrine has been called the outer shrine or chambers of Gaku. The name of the internal sanctuary of Nike was fixed behind the shrine of Amateras. ^[2]

It was believed that the fate of the imperial family, and with it the rest of the country, depended on the accuracy and purity of the rites performed in Ise. No private interests should interfere with this process, and all the rituals were aimed only at achieving the welfare of the state as a whole. Therefore, the Ise temple was kept only for public money and no private offerings were accepted. However, in the 12th century, power passed into the hands of the shoguns, and financial support from the state ceased. This forced the priests to break the age-old traditions. The ancient Noritos were changed, and the Shinto rite of purification of the Harae was presented as a necessary condition for achieving Buddhist enlightenment. However, in conditions of general instability, the material well-being of the temple was out of the question. Until the beginning of the 17th century, when the country was united by the Tokugawa family , financial support was reduced to the rare donations of the powerful. ^[2] Because of the constant strife, a special tax on the maintenance of churches ceased, and as a result, there was no money left even for the most important ritual, the renewal of the dwelling place of God. The tradition of rebuilding the sanctuary was interrupted for more than a hundred years. The rebuilding of the inner sanctum did not occur from 1462 to 1585, and it was gradually destroyed due to lack of funding. The outer sanctuary was last rebuilt in 1434 and burned down in 1487. It was rumored that the synth of the corresponding deity burned at the same time. The outer sanctuary was rebuilt only in 1563. Due to the lack of necessary facilities, part of the rituals were reduced, and some were canceled altogether. When at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century, the authorities set about restoring the temple complex, it had to be rebuilt from scratch. ^[3]

With the advent of peace, the temple took up active propaganda among ordinary people. For this, entire corporations of venerable mentors (Onsi or Axis) were formed, departing to the provinces to agitate the population to make a pilgrimage to the temple. Previously, it was forbidden, and later impossible due to the constant strife. However, with the advent of peace, these pilgrimages have become extremely popular. During their travels, the mentors handed out tablets, strips of paper or matter with the name Amaterasu. By the 19th century, such amulets, called jingu taima and revered as a kind of container of the kami, received 90% of families. ^[2]

From VII to XIV centuries, the High Priestesses from the Japanese Imperial House led the shrine. According to Man'yoshu’s chronicle, the first priestess was Princess Okunokhime-miko , the daughter of the emperor Temma during the Asuka period . The priestesses in Ise are also mentioned in the novels of Genji-monogatari and Ise-monogatari .

• December 31 - January 1 - New Year
• April 5 - April 7 - Kagura-sai, the festival of court music and dance
• Mid-May - Otahue-sai, Rice Field Festival
• June 15 - June 17 - Tsukunami-sai
• Autumn Equinox - Kagura-sai, the festival of court music and dance
• October 15 - October 17 - Gangnam-sai, rice harvest festival
• November 23 - Niiname-sai, the consecration of rice festival
• December 15 - December 17 - Tsukunami-sai

• Ise Shinto

• Isse jingu