Ise Jingu (short version) 伊勢神宮（要約）

Official explanation

Ise Jingu, officially known as “Jingu,” is the most important jinja (Shinto shrine) complex in Japan. It was originally built over 2,000 years ago for the imperial court to honor the sun deity Amaterasu-Omikami. Over time, Ise Jingu gained wide recognition as Japan’s spiritual heart. In the eighteenth century, there were years when over four million people made pilgrimages to Ise.

Ise Jingu is composed of 125 jinja, centered around the Naiku and Geku. These are dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami and Toyo’uke-no-Omikami (the deities of food, clothing, and shelter) respectively. The deities symbolize nature’s blessings. People acknowledge these blessings not only in ancient rituals giving thanks for harvests but also through conservation efforts. A 200-year cypress-planting project was introduced in Ise Jingu’s own forests in 1923.

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The nutrients from this forest are carried by the Isuzugawa River, enriching farmlands and eventually the sea. This nourishes Ise-Shima’s rice paddies, vegetable plots, and plentiful marine life. Visitors to Ise Jingu also experience nature’s blessings when ritually purifying themselves by washing their hands in the Isuzugawa River’s clear waters.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.