Finally, the heat wave in Kansai is subsiding. I took a late holidays, though it was just a couple of days. The most important Shinto tradition is now taking place in Ise shrine that is the most sacred in Japan, so I took this opportunity to take a day trip to Ise city on September 5th. Using Kintetsu railway limited express, it is about two hours from Kyoto to Ise city.
I have been to Ise shrine only once in my lifetime. And it was a school trip when I was at elementary school. My memory of this sacred place is vague at best, non-existing at my worst.
Anyway, what I called the most important Shinto tradition now under way at Ise shrine is called Shikinen-Sengu(式年遷宮). I looked for the translation of this, and one on-line dictionary translates "construction of a new shrine and transfer of the enshrined object from the old to the new, occurring at a regular, preordained time." Every 20 years all the buildings of Ise shrine is reconstructed and deities are relocated to new buildings. And this has been ongoing over 1300 years, beginning int the reign of Empress Jito in 600s. A bit away from main topics, but you may be surprised that there was an Empress in the Japanese history.
There is said to be two reasons for this tradition. The first is that all the buildings of Ise shrine are built with woods, so it can not stand for long years. The second is that reconstructing all the buildings every 20 years can transfer the technique and knowledge of shrine building from one generation to the next. I think the second reason more important. I can not compare my day to day job to this Shinto tradition, but nowadays I think this kind of activities are rather neglected in workplace as redundant.
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| Entrance gate of Ise shrine Naiku (Inner shrine) |
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| Isuzu-gawa river runs in Ise shrine Naiku (Inner shrine) |
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| Main hall of Ise shrine Geku (Outer shrine) |
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