The Rites of Renewal at Ise

Author(s): Felicia G. Bock

Source: Monumenta Nipponica , Spring, 1974, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Spring, 1974), pp. 55-68
Published by: Sophia University

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2383463

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 The Rites of Renewal at Ise

by FELICIA G. BOCK

T . n HE TEMPLES of the Olympian gods lie in ruins, the shattered testimony of a

glory now extinct and a faith now cold. But at Ise, the majestic forests shelter
a cluster of unadorned wooden buildings which have been rebuilt every
twenty years since the end of the seventh century of our era. These small thatched
buildings are outward proof of a tradition long reverenced and still flourishing.
Just as the surrounding trees constantly put forth new green, so these sacred build-
ings are built anew in regular rhythm to symbolize the eternal regeneration of the
spirit and the continuity ofthe nation's life. Here the worshiper may commune with
the primeval ancestral spirit of the Yamato people, feel himself in harmony with
his ancient heritage, and reverence the grandeur of the unspoilt natural setting.
Here is no tomb housing the dead, but a vital force, a focal point of a nation
devoted to perpetuating its valued traditions.

The Vicennial Cycle

IN THE EARLIEST DAYS of erecting shrines' to the kami, the upright pillars of the
building were planted directly into the earth. This is also true of the palace2 of the
sovereign, although the pillars appear to have rested on some natural rock founda-
tion, for in the text of the ancient rituals3 we find the statement, ' .... the
columns of the divine palace are firmly set upon the bedrock beneath the land
... .'4 The palaces were constructed to last for the span of only one reign and,
on the decease of the sovereign, they were burned in order to prevent any con-
tamination from death. The earliest shrines, too, were temporary structures. They
were set up for the celebration of a festival in honor of a deity and then they were
demolished. But with the increase in the number of festivals at certain shrines,
buildings were necessarily retained for a longer period. However, the custom of
constructing temporary shrines has survived through the centuries in the case of

1 ra-shiro M (Ji:) the Toyouke Shrine at Ise; so also the norito of

2 Mi-ya I& (') the Local Chieftain of Izumo in describing the
3 Norito ATR3?G1 Great Shrine of Izumo. See Felicia G. Bock,
4 The same formula for a shrine, 'set firmly tr., Engi-Shiki, Books vI-x, Sophia University,
on the bedrock beneath', is used in the norito for 1972, pp. 68, 95 & 102.
recital at the Shrine of the Great Deity and

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56 Monumenta Nipponica, XXIX, 1

the Da"j'-ky 5, the temporary palace structures for celebrating the G

Enthronement6 once in the reign of each emperor.7
By the end of the seventh century, the notion of perpetuating the use of shrines
dedicated to the kami took hold, and certain shrines which were linked to the
Imperial House and to the Fujiwara House, in particular, were required to be
rebuilt in entirety. Less important shrines were repaired or renovated as conditions
demanded. On account of planting the uprights directly into the soil and of the
moisture often to be found in the sacred groves, wooden buildings were apt to
deteriorate in a short time. Damage due to typhoons or fires also necessitated
repairs or rebuilding from time to time. Nothing old, rotted, or shabby was suit-
able for the place in which the kami were enshrined.
According to tradition, Empress Jitb8 first issued the order to rebuild the Shrine
to the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu-omikami,9 in the province of Ise, once every
twenty years. The Nihongi10 does not provide this information, but an old text,
Daijingu shozojiki,11 purporting to be a record of the Grand Shrine of Ise from its
founding in the reign of Emperor Suinin12 up to the year 1069 A.D., makes a
reference to such an order issued by Empress Jita in 689. The first officially re-
corded rebuilding took place in 785 and is mentioned in the Ceremonial Record
of the Grand Shrine,13 completed in 804, and this reference has made possible
the compilation of dates for the twenty-year renewal of the Grand Shrine.
Evidence contained in the Daijingi shozj jiki indicates that the first rebuilding
of the Inner Shrine, or naik$,' took place in 690, while that of the geka,15 the Outer
Shrine dedicated to the Food Goddess, Toyouke-no-akami,16 was in 692. There-
after the rebuildings took place in 709, 729,747, 785, and so on.17
The ]\fihongi records the visit of Empress Jita to Ise Province in 694, her stay in
the temporary Palace of Agol8 in the vicinity, and her commuting taxes and forced
labor for that year in the provinces of Iga, Ise, and Shima. Through the reigns of
Emperor Temmu19 and Empress Jita, the Grand Shrine of Ise rose to importance

5 it concerning ceremonies and rebuilding of the

6 Daij5-sai AS- Ise Shrine were drawn up in the reign of Tem-
mu, orJit6, or Mommu, as written orders of the
7 Robert S. Ellwood, The Feast of Kingship,
time do not survive. However, the Kotaijingui
Sophia University, 1973, p. 148; Kenzo Tange
GishikichJ leaves no doubt as to the existence of
& Noboru Kawazoe, Ise, Prototype of Japanese
regulations for the vicennial renewal of the
Architecture, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Mass.,
1965, p. 176; Bock, Engi-Shiki, p. 56. Shrines. Other great shrines for which rebuild-
8 0,:F, r. 687-96. ing every twenty years was ordered were the
Kashima (Hitachi province), Katori (Shim6sa),
10.11 ..$Z and Sumiyoshi (Settsu). The Engi-Shiki, Book
iv, verifies the regulations for the Ise Shrines,
12 , r. 31-70. and Book in for the others-Felicia G. Bock,
13 Kotaijingu7 Gishikicho 5 tA
tr., Engi-Shiki, Books i-v, Sophia University,
14 TN 1970, pp. 117 & 133.
15 3, 18 MC
16 19 X r. 673-86.
17 Scholars disagree as to whether regulations

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 Bock: The Rites of Renewal at Ise 57

as the ancestral clan shrine of the Imperial House, and it appears to have been
privately supported by the court. Later, during the Nara and Heian periods, the
Grand Shrine gradually took on the character of a national shrine and enjoyed
more widespread support.20
A further reason for the twenty-year interval for rebuilding the shrines was the
need to meet the requirements of making afresh the material objects and cere-
monial articles dedicated to the kami and enshrined in the new buildings. In those
days a generation was only twenty years, and the knowledge of architecture,
as well as of the techniques of metal work, dyeing, weaving, lacquering, sword
making, and a host of other crafts, had to be passed down from one generation to
the next. The same situation holds true today. The span of a generation may be
longer, but traditional artisans and craftsmen are disappearing, and successors
are not easy to find. For example, the fashioning of the hirao,21 a hand-dyed and
exquisitely woven bandolier for the sacred sword, is done by a weaving process
introduced from China and handed down through the centuries to one surviving
weaver, Mr Fukami, an elderly gentleman with no apprentice. Another vanishing
art is the manufacture of kuzubako,22 a container woven of kuZu vine, traditionally
a folkcraft of Minaguchi in Shiga prefecture but now no longer practiced there.23

Preparations for the 1973 Removal Rites

THUS, STARTING probably in 689-90, the Grand Shrine of Ise complex has been
rebuilt, with few exceptions, every twenty years, although the operation has been
postponed several times on account of wars. The longest lapse occurred during
the sixteenth century, and when Oda Nobunaga finally restored order to the Ise
region, he donated a large sum of money toward the expenses incurred in the
reconstruction of the Outer Shrine. By the time the Inner Shrine was rebuilt,
there had been a lapse of over a century in the renewal rites. The most recent
extended interval was between the 1929 ceremonies and the post-war rebuilding
in 1953. This rebuilding in 1953 marked a historic recovery, since the Occupation
authorities had decreed separation of all shrines from the state and had deprived
them of official support. Most of the funds for this rebuilding came from individual
donations made by some ten million people. In this connection, it may be noted
that two and a half million people visited the Ise shrines in the following year
of 1954, while today annual visitors number more than six million.
The reconstruction of the shrine buildings and the remaking of their treasures
and furnishings for last year's ceremonies reached a cost almost beyond imagina-
tion. Acquiring the great timbers (the 1953 rebuilding used 16,000 large cypress

20 Fujitani Toshio WGWkt & Naoki Kojir6 22 Ag

it7k**:)ZA5, Ise Jinga W*T-9. San-ichi 23 Sakurai Katsunoshin , Ise Jingiu,
Shobo, Tokyo, 1960, p. 37. Gakusei-sha, Tokyo, 1969, p. 191.
21 2a

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 58 Monumenta Nipponica, xxix, 1

timbers), the precious metals, and copper, iron, and tin, as well as thousands of
yards of silk and other textiles, not to mention the carpentry and the manufacture
of the items, must have raised doubts whether sacrifices or omissions would have
to be made either because of the great cost involved or because of the scarcity of
skilled craftsmen. But the years of preparation have also witnessed a steady in-
crease in the number of worshipers visiting Ise, while contributions in labor and
money have multiplied. The preparations for the 1953 ceremonies were spread
over ten years; for last year's sengii24 rites, preparations began in 1965, eight years
beforehand. In 1966, and in each succeeding year, the Emperor and Empress
contributed from their private purse toward the rebuilding expenses, making an
especially large donation in 1972.25 This benefaction, and the cumulative contri-
butions of worshipers and the fund-raising campaign of the support society, the
Ise Jingu Sfikei-kai,26 have raised a sum which is reckoned in billions of yen. One
published account mentioned a figure of Y4,500 million.
The buildings that are rebuilt include not only the naiku and geku but also the
ten auxiliary, separate shrines of the Sun Goddess and the four auxiliary ones of
the Food Goddess, making a total of sixteen shrines, some consisting of several
buildings. The whole Ise complex, including the smaller sessha, massha, and
shokansha27 scattered throughout the area, totals more than one hundred shrines.
The separate shrines28 rebuilt at this time also require fittings, furnishings, and
ceremonial articles to be newly made. The years of building and of remaking
treasures were climaxed in the Shrine Removal Ceremony held at the naiku on
2 October last year and at the geku on 5 October. The ceremony was performed
at the lesser shrines on subsequent dates.
Activities in anticipation of the vicennial event began in 1965. The first of a
series of thirty-two special festivals and ceremonies were then held, when the
ramaguchi-sai and Konomoto-sai29 festivals took place in the remote forests of the
Kiso mountains prior to cutting the first timbers. The lamaguchi-sai is a service
of prayer to the kami of the entrances to the mountains30 where the cutting is to
be done, and was held on 2 May. At the Konomoto-sai prayers were offered to the
kami inhabiting the trees which were to be ceremoniously felled for use in building
the shrines. In June of the same year, the Misomahajime-sai3l was celebrated to
mark the beginning of the timbering. The huge Japanese cypresses32 were then
cut by hand by workmen dressed in white and using purified ceremonial axes and
saws of ancient style. In June and September, services of consecration were held
before the cutting of the wood to be used for the containers33 holding the sacred
symbols as they were transferred to the new sanctuary.

24 .4 29 j. T] 7 2
25 TokugawaMuneyoshi, f1I-)) ,in Mizu-
30 rama-no-kuchi b o) V
gaki SE, No. 97, January 1973,
31 p.
'p&A1.
7
26 4*jt,t 32 Hinoki *
27 Bekk, U, pi 33 Mihishiro MMA and mifunashiro OPAIV1
28 Bekka SI1]9

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 Bock: The Rites of Renewal at Ise 59

In the following year, 1966, the first log-pulling ceremony34 took place when
timbers that had been transported by truck to Ise City were hauled through the
town to the shrines by ropes pulled by hundreds of volunteers dressed in white.
Then came the festival of Commencement of Carpentering,35 followed by the
ceremony36 in which the local people hauled the wood to each of the building sites.
In July there was a special ceremony for cutting, with consecrated ax, the timber
assigned for constructing the temporary boxes and chests to be used in the trans-
ferral rites. Then, in April 1968, according to ancient custom, the Festival of
Pacification of the Ground37 was held, and prayers were offered asking for the
protection of the kami of the site on which each new building was to be raised.
Each of these sites was an empty, identical area immediately adjacent to the exist-
ing building. These sites have alternated through the centuries as the seat of the
respective kami. Specifications for the architecture were first laid down in the
KItaijingi Gishikicho of 804, and again in more detail in the Engi-shiki38 of 927.
Another structure that is completely rebuilt is the Ujibashi,39 the bridge over
the River Isuzu40 on the main route to the Inner Shrine. The bridge is about 270
feet long and 24 feet wide, and rests on 36 supports made of zelkova4l wood.
Large wooden torii stand at each end of the bridge, and these are also renewed.
Construction of the new bridge took place in 1968-9 and culminated in a colorful
dedication rite on 2 November 1969. This Ujibashi-watari-zome-shiki42 was the oc-
casion for groups of the faithful from all over the country to come to Ise and cross
over the new bridge for the first time.
The actual construction of the new naikiu and geki buildings was started early in
1972, and in March of that year the Pillar Setting Festival43 was held for each
shrine. Then followed the festival for applying the small gilded metal bosses on
the ends of the rafters under the gables of the two sanctuaries, and next came the
ceremony44 of raising the roof beam. The month of May saw the festival for com-
mencing the thatching of the new roofs with miscanthus.45 A bird's-eye view of
the precincts of the naiku shows that, in addition to the main sanctuary,46 there are
east and west treasure houses, theyo-joden47 (for ceremonies during rain), and the
covered gates of the four concentric fences, and all of these had to be thatched
with new miscanthus reeds. This does not include the required thatching of the
buildings and gates of the geki and of the fourteen other shrines. Upon completion

34 Oki-hikizome-shiki OP *A Iv 41 Keyaki i
35 Kozukuri-hajime-sai *;*.S 42 t*
36 Okihiki-gyUji OV*Alt* 43 Ritchu7-sai ffi
37 Chinchi-sai $jM% 44 Joto-sai -L*OMi>
38 jL 45 Kaya X
39 tm* 46 Mi-shlden 1PiE)
40 +JSII 47 tR

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 60 Monumenta Nipponica, XXIX, 1

of the thatching, there was celebrated in August the festival48 for placing the
metal fittings on the crossed gable-boards,49 on the cross-logs athwart the ridge,50
and on the railings of the sanctuaries built in raised-floor, 'granary-type', shrine
style. Metal was used for the nails, bosses, plates, clamps, locks, keys, and door
trimmings. The details of these fittings may be found in the Engi-shiki, and they
appear to have been augmented during the Nara period or in the beginning of the
Heian period. The list of Deity Treasures5l is also given in the Engi-shiki, Book IV.52
Even today the list of materials required is very little changed. The treasures
and articles to be made anew for the various shrines comes to a total of about two
thousand items. There are 60 ceremonial swords and 31 mirrors, while the silk re-
quired for curtains, drapes, quilts, bedding, garments, and wrappings, totals about
900 meters. The pure gold used today is limited to 3.75 kilos, and lacquer to 262
kilos. The mirrors are chiefly of antique Chinese design, and are copies of Han
mirrors of bronze imported in the proto-historic age; some are gilded on the back.
All are wrapped in silk and placed in lacquer boxes with silver inlay or other
surface design. Besides the silken garments, quilts, and bedding offered to the
deities, there are pairs of brocade shoes and silken socks placed in the ceremonial
boxes.53
For the Sun Goddess, there is the miniature sacred loom, and the bronze thread-
boxes, spindles, and reels to go with it. A gilt-bronze brazier and charcoal utensils
are among the treasures for the Izanami shrine,54 an auxiliary of the naiku; two
miniature caparisoned horses55 are made for the Tsukiyomi and Takihara shrines.56
For the use of goddesses, there are sets of boxwood combs, placed in silken bags and
especially-made boxes. In addition to the ritual swords, there are also ceremonial
bows, thousands of arrows, quivers of various styles, shields, spears, and leather
wrist-guards. The last-mentioned articles, called tomo,57 have the three-comma
design58 on the side, and are placed in a brocade bag with silk cord drawstrings.
The banners or pennants attached to the ceremonial spears also bear the same
design.
The most ornate sword has a gold scabbard encrusted with gems; other swords
have some gold or silver ornamentation, and some are encased in black lacquer
scabbards. In other articles, mother-of-pearl inlay is used, and the beads and gems

48 Iraka-sai Vrt chosen from among the horses presented as of-

49 Chigi +* ferings.... ' Even today there is a stable at
50 Katsuogi $XO (, 0) the naiku- where two sacred horses are kept.
51 Go-shimp3 iOPTA1 They are never ridden as they are sacred to the
52 Bock, Engi-Shiki, i-v, p. 139. deities, but they are regularly exercised and
53 ranaibako W9P; promenaded on festal occasions. See Bock,
54
Engi-Shiki, i-v, p. 144.
56
55 The Engi-Shiki stipulated, 'At all times, for
each of the two Great Shrines, two august
57E

horses are to be fed and stabled. They areMitsu-domoe

58 E

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 Bock: The Rites of Renewal at Ise 61

include pearls, amber, agate, and crystal. Cinnabar, lampblack, and other pig-
ments and dyes are also employed. The ceremonial weapons are made of a
variety of woods, and the quivers are constructed of bulrushes, leather, and so
on. The skin of bear, deer, and cow is used, as well as the feathers of crow, swan,
and eagle. The feathers of the crested ibis59 were formerly used for decoration,
but conservation laws now protect this bird. Musical instruments include two
zithers of unique design, known as wa-gon or Japanese koto.
In August of last year the white pebbles for the ground of the new shrines were
brought to the site, with people from all parts of the country participating in the
ceremony. The pebbles, averaging about 7 cm in diameter, were carried in tubs
piled on top of wagons, and these were pulled by a long, double line of wor-
shipers. The procession passed through the town of Ujiyamada60 and finally
reached the site of the new naiku. The persons who helped to transport and spread
out these pebbles enjoyed the privilege of entering the new sacred precincts, where
no-one is allowed once the sengu rite has taken place.61
By September the new buildings were completely finished, and ritual cleansing
and washing62 were performed. Then came the ceremonial placing of the 'august
central pillar'63 beneath the center of each of the main sanctuaries. This esoteric
rite took place during the dark of night on 25 September at the naikiu and two
nights later at the gek&. The central pillar was placed in a container called mifuna-
shiro,64 'august boat shape', a box about 7 ft in length. Only the priests are allowed
to place the pillar under the place in the sanctuary where the sacred container65
holding the august mirror66-the symbol of the Sun Goddess-is kept. This
unique procedure is the survival of an archaic rite concerning a sanctified article
associated with the origin of the shrine, while the august boat shape is testimony
to the ancient belief that the kami descend by boat-or in this case, that the Sun
Goddess arrived by boat when she came to the Province of Ise.
In the final days of September the service to celebrate the completion of con-
struction67 was held at both the naiku and gekz. For this ceremony, the Superin-
tendent of the Shrines68 and sixty shrine priests congregated beneath the main
sanctuary to perform the rite of strengthening the main central pillar. They were
dressed in sacerdotal white, and carrying long white staffs, they sat at a ritual
feast, then made obeisance to the old sanctuary before proceeding to the new.
There, underneath the raised floor, they circumambulated the central pillar,
striking it with their staffs and singing:

59 Toki A 63 Shin-no-mihashira r4.p* i

60 @, f 64 apf
61 The pebbles were obtained during 1972 65 MihiShiro opkfi-)
from the Fujigawa and were presented by the 66 rata-no-kagami ;\J
people of Shibakawa-machi, Shizuoka prefec- 67 Kotsuki-sai t
ture (Mizugaki, No. 94, March 1972, p. 10). 68 Daig27ji kg E1
62 Arai-kiyome ,*

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 62 Monumenta Nipponica, XXIX, 1

The hallowed and revered Kashikoshiya

August dwelling of Isuzu Isuzu-no-miya no
Is now built up, Kotsuki-shite-keri
Built up. Kotsuki-shite-keri
May the country flourish! Kuni zo sakayuru
May the district flourish! Kiri zo sakayuru
For ever and aye, rorozuyo made ni
For ever and aye! rorozuyo made ni

At the inner sanctum Amaterasu

Of Amaterasu, Omiya-dokoro
Let us worship Kakushitsutsu
In this fashion, Tsukaematsuran
Let us worship Kakushitsutsu
In this fashion, Tsukaematsuran
For ever and aye, Yorozuyo made ni
For ever and aye. Yorozuyo made ni

On the following day the same ceremony was held at the geki, with the words,
'Watarai no Toyouke no miya', substituted in the first verse.69
On 1 October, after the service of prayer70 to the kami inhabiting the sites on
which the new buildings had been completed, there took place a sort of roll call,
or inventory, of all the ceremonial articles and treasures when the official in
charge (shimpJzukai)71 turns them over to the Mistress of Ceremonies. This is a
time-consuming procedure, for the collating of the list with the items contained
in the ceremonial white chests must be carefully performed. The total number
of ceremonial articles for the naiku is 343 items, and for the geki, 141 items;
divine treasures for the naikiu number 199, and for the geku, 55. In addition to
all these items, there are also the articles destined for the newly-built auxiliary
shrines. Ceremonies for transferring the articles to these smaller shrines started
on 10 October and continue into the present year. A grand purification ceremony
is held for the items to be placed in the two main shrines, at which time the priests
perform exorcism rites to cleanse the boxes and the sacred objects inside them
from all impurity.

69 A description of this ceremony and the pp. 183-84; Mainichi Graphic *FL El y 7, 21
words of the sacred chant are given in Jingfi October 1973, p. 29.
70 Gochin-sai AV
Shich6 TiT1' .] E, Jingii Hoshi no Dento i t *TJE
Og, Ise Shi, 1965, p. 25; Sakurai, Ise Jingiu, 71 TT

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 Mainichi Graphi

The August Mirror, the shintai of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu-omikami, is solemnly transferred to the newly built
Inner Shrine in the evening of z October 1973.

Mainichi Graphi
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Takatsukasa 22 Mayreturning
Kazuko 2025 10:28:43 UTCa performance of kagura at the new Inner
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Shrine on the evening of 3 October 1973. This ceremony brought to an end the vicennial sengul rites of the
Inner Shrine.
 Bock: The Rites of Renewal at Ise 63

The Transfer Ceremonies

THE SIXTIETH sengiu ceremonies of the Grand Shrine culminated in the transferring
(sengvo)72 of the most sacred objects from the old sanctuary to the new; this was
held on 2 October last year at the naiku, and on 5 October at the geku. Tuesday,
2 October, dawned bright and fair, although it had rained during the two previous
days in the Ise region. The air was pleasantly warm at midday as worshipers from
all over the country began to converge on Ujiyamada to make their way to the
Grand Shrine. If the crowd looked well dressed, it was because these people were
benefactors of the Grand Shrine, either by contributions or services, and had
received formal invitations to the event. Along with the invitation had come
instructions regarding deportment and dress-gentlemen had to wear a morning
coat, while, in the case of ladies, a formal kimono or Western dress was required.
After resting and sipping tea in a residence whose garden overlooked the Isuzu,
our party put the finishing touches to their formal dress and then passed through
the torii and onto the Ujibashi. From the reception tents we proceeded to the
mitarashi,73 or pavilion for purifying mouth and hands with water. Water from the
pure stream of Isuzu is piped here, but those who so wish may go a few steps further
and wash in the river as in olden times. After passing through the second and third
torii along the path to the main sanctuary, we reached the huge wooden platform
built for the occasion to seat some three thousand or more invited guests.74 The
platform could be described as a grandstand and was located along the path that
leads past the stone stairway to the site of the new shrine (the nearer site) and on
to the stairway of the former shrine (the further site). The platform had been built
to preserve the trees growing there, and it was divided into sections by rustic
railing, with thin matting spread over the bare boards.
At 4.00 P.M. the preliminaries commenced. Various priests clothed in white
moved back and forth. Starting at the very end of the grandstand toward the
old sanctuary, shrine priests performed the cleansing of the multitude of visitors
by the ceremony of o-harai.75 Junior priests carrying lighted white lanterns escorted
functionaries robed in the formal attire76 of the Heian period and wearing black
eboshi77 headgear. Most of them wore black skirts, although some wore crimson.
The procession filed up to the itatamagaki,78 or board fence, one of the four con-
centric fences surrounding the old sanctuary, and special prayers were offered to

72 *p had had a death in the family within a certain

73 ip - period of time; the period of time varied with
74 Newspaper reports gave figures varying the proximity of relationship. Thus survive the
from three to above five thousand. The number ancient rules concerning ceremonial defilement.
of invitations issued certainly exceeded the num- 75 4pw
ber of people able to attend, for with the invita- 76 Sokutai J;
tion was enclosed a copy of regulations as to 77 ft

those who may not attend-i.e., whose who 78 ;Si.;

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 64 Monumenta fipponica, XXIX, 1

the Sun Goddess. The representative of the Imperial Family, Prince Hitachi,79
dressed in morning coat, came with his attendants, and made his obeisance before
the old sanctuary of Amaterasu-omikami.
Then, in the gathering darkness, fires80 were lighted at the foot of each stairway
leading to the old and new shrines. At 6.00 P.M., the sound of drum beats heralded
the beginning of the grand procession. The first ceremony consisted of distributing
symbolic offerings81 to all the principal participants. In order of their appearance
in the cortege, these were the Imperial Messenger, Nagatsumi Torahiko,82 dressed
in ancient court attire; Prince Hitachi, son of the Emperor; Princess Kazuko,
temporary Mistress of Ceremonies,83 robed in Heian costume of crimson robes
with a pure white overgarment, and wearing the sacred bark-cloth fillet84 on her
head, and carrying a ceremonial fan. Then followed the Superintendent of the
Grand Shrine, Tokugawa Muneyoshi;85 the Assistant Superintendent, and about
ten high priests86 of the shrines. All these dignitaries received symbolic offerings
-four small branches of decorated sakaki, here calledfuto-tamagushi,87 which they
held in their hands as they processed in a single file.
The beat of their lacquered wooden shoes on the gravel path made an impres-
sive rhythmic accompaniment to the long procession. Following the principals
came a continuous line of junior priests and officials, also robed in colorful cere-
monial dress and black lacquered headgear. Attendants lighted pine torches and
white lanterns to illuminate the pathway for the hundred and sixty participants
as they processed up to the inner sanctum of the old shrine.
The waiting period during which the participants were within the sacred en-
closure seemed interminable. During this time, the Imperial Messenger was offer-
ing the Emperor's prayer to the Sun Goddess, beseeching her to move to the newly
erected sanctuary that had been prepared and furnished for her. Then the door of
the sanctuary was opened by two high-priests and the Mistress of Ceremonies
entered, followed by ten high-priests to prepare the transfer of the sacred sym-
bol88 of the goddess from the old sanctuary to the new.

79
could produce light by reflecting the sun; it was
80 Niwabi J-; a sun image; it was a protective device to keep
81 O-nusa AkOt (i)~ , ik) away evil spirits; it reveals in its disc persons or
82 Chokushi VA; AOC9 spirits of the dead; it could draw the soul out
83 Rinji-saishu P.*X P . In private life, Mrs of the body. The ruler in ancient times con-
Takatsukasa Kazuko 2 ElvTa, the third ferred a mirror upon a local chief as emblem of
daughter of the Emperor. She serves in place authority, and this was later buried with the
of Princess Kitashirakawa Fusako ib 11$'-, chief. Further details are given in D.C. Holtom,
seventh daughter of the Emperor Meiji. The Japanese Enthronement Ceremonies, 2nd ed.,
84 ruukazura t Sophia University, 1972, Chapter ii, 'The
85 IM I I Mirror', pp. 7-17, on the last page of which
86 Negi a Holtom notes: 'The mirror has ever remained
87 i enshrined in the Holy of Holies of the Daijingfu
88 The Sacred Mirror. A mirror in ancient of Ise as the most sacred material object of all
times was known to possess magical powers-it
Japan.'

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 Bock: The Rites of Renewal at Ise 65

Finally, at the stroke of eight o'clock, all outside lighting, lanterns, and torches
were extinguished. The darkness was complete except for the small flicker of the
bonfire at the foot of each stairway. Absolute stillness fell upon the crowd of on-
lookers. After a few moments the silence was broken by the faint note of the
flutes, whose plaintive two-note melody (a very slow do .... re .... repeated
over and over to the rhythm of the marching) was the only audible accompani-
ment. While the officiating participants were within the sanctuary, attendants
had carpeted the route by spreading a cloth runner along the entire length of the
path from the old sanctuary to the steps of the new. Pine torches suddenly lighted
up this path as the dignitaries emerged from the old gate and the procession of
priests bearing the sacred symbol and the treasures came forth.
The sacred mirror in its wrapping and container was borne by twelve priests
who were completely enveloped in a silk canopy89 so that the sacred symbol was
not exposed to vulgar gaze. This white canopy was carried by another twenty
priests. Preceding this part of the procession were priests carrying the sacred silk
umbrella and the long-handled silken screens.90 As this most solemn part of the
procession passed, the stillness was broken as many of the faithful reverently
clapped their hands while they bowed their heads to acknowledge the presence
of divinity.
After the white-curtained enclosure were carried the other treasures-the sedge
umbrella, shields, spears with their banners, bows, arrows, and quivers. Soon, all
these slowly disappeared into the night. In the dim and flickering light the bearers
transferred the sacred mirror and other treasures into the new sanctuary. When
the last of the long procession had passed into the gateway of the new shrine, the
lights were turned on and tension relaxed among the audience.
In the mysterious half-light at Ise, it was impossible for the observer to dis-
tinguish all the elements of the procession, but the published list of persons and
treasures provides detailed information on the order observed.

Vanguards with pine torches

Shrine marshals
Lantern bearers
August shields of wood
August spears with silk banners
Quivers woven from bulrushes
Ceremonial bows made of catalpa wood
Long-handled screens of sedge
Long-handled screens of purple silk gauze
August sword sheathed in gilded bronze, wrapped in white silk
August sword with jewel-encrusted gilded scabbard, likewise wrapped

89 Kjshou J 90 Sashiba f

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 66 Monumenta Nfipponica, XXIX, 1

August sword with ornamented and gilded scabbard, likewise wrapped

August umbrella of red-violet figured silk
Eight musicians with ancient instruments
A marshal
The Imperial Messenger
The sacred moving curtain
The sacred enclosure with twelve priests inside bearing the container
enclosing the August Mirror and the sacred symbols of the two other
deities enshrined in the naiku; all this is escorted by twenty priests.
Rear guards
August umbrellas of red-violet silk
The Mistress of Ceremonies
The august umbrella woven of sedge
Catalpa bows
Leather quivers
August spears and shields, and torches
Marshals of the Shrine
Presenters of sacred offerings
The representative of the Imperial Family
More than one hundred participating priests and shrine officials.

In the meantime, in the Imperial Palace at the capital, the Emperor had been
worshiping in the sanctuary9l dedicated to Amaterasu-omikami. In formal attire,
he made obeisances and prayed for the safe transfer of the Goddess' symbol to the
new shrine. His example was followed all over the country by the faithful bowing
toward the Grand Shrine of Ise. On the following days, they would flock to the
Ise shrines in their thousands.

IT MAY BE WONDERED why, if Ise is an imperial shrine dedicated to the progenitor

of the imperial line, the Emperor does not personally go to worship there. Through
the ages there have been very few instances of an emperor or empress making a
personal visit to Ise. In the early period of the shrine, tradition dictated that the
worship of the ancestral deities was carried out by a virgin daughter of the em-
peror at a shrine set apart from the Imperial Palace. The Emperor Sujin92 ordered
his daughter, Princess Toyosuki-iribime,93 to worship the ancestral deities at
another village. Wishing to establish a separate shrine, Emperor Suinin sent his
daughter, Princess Yamato-hime,94 with the sacred mirror and sword, and she
founded a shrine for them on the River Isuzu.
Succeeding sovereigns sent daughters as their personal representatives to serve

91 Naishi-dokoro M44K 93 X Xt
92 3P, r. 97-30 B.C. 94

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 Bock: The Rites of Renewal at Ise 67

as Consecrated Imperial Princess95 at the shrine of the Sun Go

Nara period, worship and festivals at Ise became more national
emperors continued the custom of having a princess to represen
ous ceremonies. This continued until the reign of Emperor Go-Daigo,96 but
after 1333 the practice was discontinued. During the Tokugawa period, Ise
became a popular place of pilgrimage for high and low alike. Contemporary
prints, paintings, and literature feature the Ise-mairi,97 and it became the ambi-
tion of everybody to undertake the journey at least once in a lifetime.
After the Restoration, the Emperor Meiji visited the Ise shrines, and in early
Meiji an attempt was made to restore the old religious customs of the Heian
period. The practice of sending a representative from the court to assist in the
major ceremonies at the shrines was revived. But these revival attempts were not
altogether successful. In more recent times, however, the seventh daughter of the
Emperor Meiji, Princess Kitashirakawa Fusako, was appointed Mistress of Cere-
monies to the Ise shrines, and actively participated during the 1953 transfer rites.
She still holds the office, although inactively. There is some resemblance between
this role and that of the Consecrated Imperial Princess of the earlier centuries,
although it is a survival in only a limited form. Finally, the Heir Apparent visits
the Grand Shrine after his investiture and also on some other occasions.
A few other points are often raised in connection with the sengui ceremonies. At
this stage it would appear that the staggering cost of the sixtieth renewal of the
shrines will be met by the gifts from the faithful, but it may be wondered whether
the ceremony can be repeated in its entirety in 1993. It may become necessary
to omit the remaking of some of the items and perhaps the number of duplicated
buildings could be reduced. It may also be possible to postpone the rebuilding for
several years, or to substitute construction materials that would last longer. How-
ever, all this remains very much a question for the future.
It may also be queried why the sengui ceremonies, a rite of renewal and regene-
ration, are not held in the spring, the season of rebirth. The answer is to be found
in the Engi-shiki, for the celebration of the completion of the new buildings coin-
cided with the fall festival of thanksgiving, the Kanname-sai,98 at which the first
fruits of the harvest were offered to Amaterasu-omikami and to the Food Goddess.
According to the text of this ancient record, when the time comes round for the
Shrine of the Great Deity to be rebuilt, '. . . with the onset of winter, they com-
mence the construction of the seven buildings of the Shrine of the Great Deity
and the twelve small shrines ...' Winter started with the tenth moon, so this
allowed nearly eleven months for the rebuilding work. Spring began with the
first month of the new year. But in the mild climate of the Ise region, the winter
is not severe, nor is the spring the great drama of nature unfolding as it is in colder
countries.

95 Itsuki-no-miya 11 97 ,*.
96 ARWR Afi, r. 1319-38. 98 f

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68 Monumenta N/ipponica, XXIX, 1

Finally, what becomes of the old buildings, gates, fences, torii, sacred treasures,
and the countless ceremonial articles after the removal of the deities and freshly-
made furnishings and items to the new shrine buildings has been accomplished?
There are various answers to this question. In the Heian period, the usable wood
from the buildings was given to other shrines for use in repair work. Furnishings
and ceremonial articles were likewise bestowed on other shrines, or distributed
among the priests and officials of Ise. Traditionally, the divine treasures were
buried in the ground. In recent years, however, some of these have been exhumed
and are exhibited in the Chokokan Museum99 at Ise, along with other treasures
dating from the Heian, Muromachi, and Meiji periods. Swords have been given
to the Imperial Palace and to other shrines. Regrettably, in times of warfare
through the centuries, treasures have been lost, stolen, or destroyed. The most
recent plundering was allegedly done by Occupation forces after World War II.
On the more positive side, the regulation requiring that these rare treasures
be renewed every twenty years has insured the survival of unique dyeing and
weaving arts, as well as metal, leather, and lacquer crafts, which otherwise might
have perished long ago. Many of these choice items are displayed in museums or
special exhibitions so that the public may have a chance of seeing articles that are
ordinarily kept from view.

WHAT IS IT that captivates the soul and imagination at Ise? Why is it different
from any other shrine? The exquisite natural setting, the awesome majesty of the
towering trees, the simplicity of the pure Shinto architecture-all this exists in
other places as well. Yet here there is something more. In this tranquil forest,
the multitudes come without display and pay their respects in unending succession.
Here one can gain a feeling of identity with the ages, the sense of history, the con-
tinuity of the life of a whole people. To this hallowed spot anyone can come-
high-born or low, old or young, native and even foreign-to participate in the
ritual of the renewal of the spirit. The renewal of life itself is symbolized by the
rebuilding and rededication of the Ise shrines and their sacred treasures.

99 tt

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