Ise Jingu for the UninitiatedNaiku

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90-min. Sample Route (Naiku)

Once you cross the Ujibashi Bridge, and continue along the path toward the shrine, your soul will be cleansed. There are many points of interest other than the main sanctuary, including Kazahinomi-no-Miya, Takimasturi-no-Kami, and more. Walking through Jingu will ease the spirit as you experience the nature and history of Jingu.

60-min. Route
90-min. Route

90-min. Route (Naiku)

This route is for people with some extra time to intimately experience Jingu and enjoy the lush nature in its precincts.
Beware, as the time required for each recommended route does not include formal ceremonies.
Not all of the spots introduced in these routes may be accessible depending on unforseen circumstances.

You can also view the route map on Google My Maps.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❶ Ujibashi Bridge

Ujibashi Bridge, which passes over the Isuzugawa River, is the entrance to Naiku. It is said to connect the mundane world to the realm of the divine.

The Handiwork of Boat Carpenters

The roughly 600 floorboards of Ujibashi Bridge are conjoined with the same technique used to construct the bottom of a ship, preventing rainwater from leaking through to the bridge's legs. The techniques of master craftsmen passed down generation after generation have ensured the safety of shrine visitors for centuries.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❷ Shin'en Jingu Garden

Beautifully mowed lawns and pristine pine trees abound. This garden is where spring and fall Kagura Festival Ritual Dance Performances and ritualistic sumo wrestler entrance processions take place.

Shin'en Jingu Garden: Now and Then

Up until the mid Meiji period, this garden was lined with the residences of Shinto priests and other buildings. The town was reorganized a number of times since the Edo period due to fires and other incidents, and a "Shin'en Society" finally decided that the area was not appropriate in its proximity to the shrine devoted to Amaterasu-Omikami, leading to the current-day landscape.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❸ Temizusha / Mitarashi
(Site for Ablution)

Purify your mind and body before approaching the shrine. The flow of the Isuzugawa River is a symbol of purity, and it is possible to washing your hands and mouth at both the temizusha (purifcation basin) or the mitarashi (site for ablution) at Isuzugawa River.

Click Here for Shrine Etiquette

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❹ Takimatsuri-no-kami

Close to the mitarashi ablution site, the deity Takimatsuri-no-kami has only a shrine fence and gate, but no pavilion. The deity is enshrined in stone and is said to be the protecctor of the Isuzugawa River.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❺ Imibiyaden (Sacred kitchen)

The "sacred kitchen" where cleansing fire is used to prepare offerings.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❻ Miniechosha (Divine Meal Cooking House)

During festivals at Naiku, Toyo'uke-no-Omikami, the diety of sacred offerings, would be welcomed here to prepare the staple offering of abalone for Amaterasu-Omikami.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❼ Kotaijingu (Naiku)

Worshipped as the guardian of the people of Japan as the divine ancestor of the imperial family, Amaterasu-Omikami has been enshrined at Kotaijingu for 2000 years.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❽ Mishine-no-mikura

Rice harvested in the Jingu rice fields to be provided during three ceremonial offerings known collectively as Sansetsusai are stored in this shrine building. While small, it features the distinct shinmei-zukuri architecture Jingu is known for.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❾ Geheiden (outer treasury)

This building formely housed cloth offerings from non-emperors. This building is located outside the fence of the main sanctuary of Naiku, however it is located inside the fence at Geku.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

❿ Aramatsuri-no-miya

Ranked highest among the superior, affiliated betsugu jinja, this shrine is dedicated to the vigorous aspect, or Aramitama, of Amaterasu-Omikami's spirit.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓫ Misakadono / Yuki-no-mikura

The large buildilng is Misakadono where the kami of sake is enshrined, while the small buildling is Yuki-no-mikura where offerings and fruit are stored.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓬ Gojoden

Used as a substitute location for ritual offerings and purification ceremonies during rain. It also serves as the venue for a ceremonial dinner known as Kyozen-no-gi for those participating in the reconstruction during Shikinen-Sengu.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓭ Miyanomeguri-no-kami

Protective deity of the Naiku precincts whose name represents the four cardinal directions. The kami has neither shrine paviliion nor fence, and is simply enshrined in a stone on the ground.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓮ Kazahinomi-no-miya

An affiliated betsugu jinja that enshrines a kami governing wind. The Kazahinomi-no-Miya Bridge leading to the shrine provides a beautiful vantage point of verdant spring greenery or brilliant autumn leaves.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓯ Kaguraden (Naiku)

The building with copper shingle roofing located midway between the Ujibashi Bridge and the Main Sanctuary of Naiku. It offers formal ceremonies, amulets, talismans, and shrine seals.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓰ Mi'umaya Shrine

Sacred horses presented to Jingu by the imperial family are located here. The horses typically visit the main sanctuary at 8:00 am on the first, eleventh, and twenty-first of each month.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓱ Sanshuden

This building is a free rest spot for shrine visitors. In the center of the structure is a stage where Noh and Kyogen are performed.

90-min. Route (Naiku)

⓲ Oyamazumi Shrine /
Koyasu Shrine

Both are minor shrines under the jurisdiction of Naiku. The kami enshrined at Koyasu Shrine in particular is revered by locals for blessing women with safe childbirth.

Click here for 60-min. route (Naiku)

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