Ise Daijingū

The Ise Shrine (Japanese: 伊勢神宮, Hepburn: Ise Jingū), located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime. Also known simply as Jingū (神宮), Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, Naikū (内宮) and Gekū (外宮). The Inner Shrine, Naikū (also officially known as "Kōtai Jingū"), is dedicated to the worship of Amaterasu and is located in the town of Uji-tachi, south of central Ise, where she is believed to dwell. The shrine buildings are made of solid cypress wood and use no nails, instead being joined with wood. The Outer Shrine or Gekū (also officially known as the Toyouke Daijingū), is located about six kilometers from Naikū and dedicated to Toyouke-hime, the female deity of agriculture, rice harvest and industry. Besides Naikū and Gekū, there are an additional 123 Shinto shrines in Ise City and the surrounding areas, 91 of them connected to Naikū and 32 to Gekū. Purportedly the home of the Yata no Kagami, the shrine is Shinto's holiest and most important site. Access to both sites is strictly limited, with the general public not allowed beyond sight of the thatched roofs of the central structures, hidden behind four tall tamagaki (wooden fences). However, visitors are free to roam the forest, including its ornamental walkways, which date back to the Meiji period. During the Edo period, it is estimated that one in ten Japanese people made the Okage mairi or pilgrimage to Ise. Accordingly, pilgrimage to the shrine flourished in both commercial and religious frequency. According to historical documents, 3.62 million people visited the shrine in 50 days in 1625, and 1.18 million in three days in 1829, when the grand festival, held every 20 years, took place. Because the shrine is considered sanctuary, no security checkpoints were conducted, as it was considered sacrilege by the faithful. The two main shrines of Ise are joined by a pilgrimage road that passes through the old entertainment district of Furuichi. The chief priest or priestess of Ise, called the Saiō until the 14th century, must be related to the Imperial House of Japan and is responsible for watching over the Shrine. The current High Priestess of the shrine is former princess Sayako Kuroda, daughter of Akihito, the current Daijō Tennō (retired emperor).