learn/[id]

基礎
1 分で読める
伊
BASICS
Ise Jingu Naiku Complete Guide: Rituals and History of Japan's Greatest Shrine
Ise Jingu Naiku, home to Amaterasu Omikami, is Japan's highest-ranking shrine with over 2,000 years of history. This guide covers proper pilgrimage etiquette, highlights from Uji Bridge to the main sanctuary, and recommended routes including Geku and Futami.
聖
Author
Hijiri
| Shrines & Temples
Ise Jingu Naiku (Kotai Jingu) enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess and supreme deity of the Shinto pantheon, and stands as Japan’s highest-ranking shrine. Founded according to tradition in the reign of Emperor Suinin over 2,000 years ago, the inner shrine is rebuilt in its entirety every 20 years through the Shikinen Sengu ceremony — a living tradition of ancient architecture and craftsmanship passed down through 62 cycles. During the Edo period, millions of ordinary people made the pilgrimage known as “Okage-mairi,” and today over 8 million visitors come each year. This guide covers proper pilgrimage etiquette, highlights from Ise Jingu Naiku and Ise Jingu Geku to Futami Okitama Jinja and Sarutahiko Jinja.
Last updated: May 20, 2026
Ise Jingu Naiku — Uji Bridge and approach path
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Ise Jingu Geku main sanctuary — Toyouke Omikami
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Uji Bridge — threshold between everyday world and sacred realm
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Meotoiwa (Wedded Rocks) at Futamigaura — purification site before Ise pilgrimage
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Sarutahiko Jinja — shrine of the path-opening deity
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
── 了 ──
聖
Author
Hijiri（ひじり）
Shrines & Temples
Toku editorial team — shrines and temples. Former designer who reads temple architecture and gardens through an aesthetic lens, quietly tracing the lineages of sects and doctrines.
›
This article was
♡ Helpful
⤴
詣
Visit Related Places
History truly comes alive when you visit in person. Choose your next destination from the related sites and pilgrimage courses below.
I
1. Ise Jingu Naiku (Inner Shrine)
Japan's highest shrine enshrining Amaterasu — 20-year Shikinen Sengu rebuilding has continued for 1,300 years
›
I
2. Ise Jingu Geku (Outer Shrine)
Ise's Outer Shrine of Toyouke, guardian of food and industry — tradition says to visit Geku before Naiku
›
F
3. Futami Okitama Jinja
Sacred purification site before visiting Ise — the Meoto-iwa wedded rocks bound by rope frame the summer solstice sunrise
›
S
4. Sarutahiko Jinja
Shrine of Sarutahiko, the guide deity of the divine descent — worshipped as the god of new paths and directions
›
Pilgrimage Course
Shinbutsu Reijo Pilgrimage
Visit 150 sites
›
Pilgrimage Course
Ise Grand Shrine Pilgrimage
Visit 4 sites
›
Related Articles
S
共通のスポット
Shimenawa: The Sacred Rope That Divides the Divine and Human Realms
Shimenawa are the sacred ropes hung at torii gates, sacred trees, and rock formations across Japan t
›
T
共通のスポット
The Sacred Rites of Ise Jingu: The Inner and Outer Shrines and the Philosophy of Shikinen Sengu
Ise Jingu, comprising the Inner Shrine of Amaterasu and the Outer Shrine of Toyouke, maintains its s
›
A
共通のスポット
Amaterasu Omikami and Ise Jingu: A Guide to Japan's Supreme Deity
Amaterasu Omikami is Japan's supreme deity, enshrined at Ise Jingu. This guide covers the inner and
›
I C H I G O I C H I E
📱
Explore pilgrimage with the app
Download on the App Store
✕