Established in honor of the mother goddess Amaterasu around 2,000 years ago, Ise Grand Shrine is one of Japan’s oldest shrines. And yet, in another sense, it is one of Japan’s newest shrines. For more ...

THE Ise Grand Shrine (a series of over 100 shrines) is the most sacred shrine in Japan. It is devoted to Amaterasu-omikami (the sun goddess) and has been in existence since 4BC, officially known ...

But longevity is brittle, and it also makes it fragile. Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Depiction of the Relocation of the Grand Shrine of Ise, c. 1847-1852 Eastern cultures maintain a different way of relating to ...

Hundreds of people on June 9 welcomed the arrival of the sacred wood that will be used to rebuild a divine palace at Ise ...

Every 20 years, locals tear down the Ise Jingu grand shrine in Mie Prefecture, Japan, only to rebuild it anew. They have been doing this for around 1,300 years. Some records indicate the Shinto ...

Go, go take a peek.) I’m starting with the Ise Kaidō, walking to Ise Grand Shrine. Then heading down the Ise-ji route to Kumano City, where I’ll grab the Hongū-do path inland to Hongū Grand ...

"At least once, I’d like to make the pilgrimage to the Ise Grand Shrine.” From around the 12th century, commoners young and old alike longed to make the once-in-a-lifetime visit to pay their ...

Shiba Daijingu shrine dates back to the year 1005. Dedicated to Ise Grand Shrine’s two principal deities, Amaterasu-Omikami (the sun goddess) and Toyoukeno-Okami (god of agriculture and industry ...

Last winter, I visited possibly the most revered ancient shrine in all of Japan: Ise Jingu, or the Ise Grand Shrine, in Ise, Mie Prefecture. The complex is centered on the inner shrine ...