Ise Shrine (Ise-jingū 伊勢神宮; alternately Grand Shrines of Ise or Ise Daijingū 伊勢大神宮) is a shrine to Shinto goddess Amaterasu ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. A Jinja (Japanese: 神社) is a Shinto shrine including its surrounding natural area but it is more common to refer to buildings as a jinja. ... A torii at Itsukushima Shrine Shinto (神道 Shintō) (sometimes called Shintoism) is a native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... Torii at the Ama-no-Iwato Shrine in Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture Amaterasu is a Shinto Sun goddess; she is the mythical ancestress of the royal family of Japan. ... This article is about the city in Mie Prefecture. ... Mie Prefecture (三重県; Mie-ken) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. ...

Officially known simply as Jingū or "The Shrine," Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of over one hundred individual shrines, divided into two main parts. Gekū (外宮) or the Outer Shrine is located in the town of Yamada and dedicated to the deity Toyouke no ōmikami, while Naikū (内宮) or the Inner Shrine is located in the town of Uji and dedicated to Amaterasu ōmikami. The two are located some six kilometers apart, joined by a pilgrimage road that passes through the old entertainment district of Furuichi.

One of several "Exceptional Shrines" (betsugū) at Ise Shrine

According to the official chronology, the shrines were originally constructed in the year 4 BC, but most historians date them from several hundred years later, with 690 AD widely considered the date when the shrines were first built in their current form. They are mentioned in the annals of the Kojiki and Nihonshoki (dating from 712 and 720, respectively). The old shrines are dismantled and new ones built to exacting specifications every 20 years at exorbitant expense. The present buildings, dating from 1993, are the 61st iteration to date and are scheduled for rebuilding in 2013. A minor building at Ise Shrine Mie prefecture Japan I took this photograph and contribute it to the public domain. ... A minor building at Ise Shrine Mie prefecture Japan I took this photograph and contribute it to the public domain. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC - 0s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC 6 BC 5 BC 4 BC 3 BC 2 BC 1 BC 1 2 Events Archelaus becomes... Events Beginning of Wu Zetians Zhou Dynasty in China. ... Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記) is the oldest known historical book about the ancient history of Japan. ... Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ... Events Ansprand succeeds Aripert as king of the Lombards. ... For other uses, see number 720. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 2013 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Reputedly the home of one of the Japanese Emperor's Sacred Mirror, the shrine is arguably the holiest and most important Shinto site. Access to both sites is strictly limited, with the common public allowed to see little more than the thatched roofs of the central structures, hidden behind three tall wooden fences. His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. ... The Japanese Imperial Regalia (Jp: 三種の神器; Sanshu no Jingi, or Three Sacred Treasures) consist of the sword, Kusanagi (草薙剣) (or possibly a replica of the original; see Kusanagi), the jewel, Yasakani no magatama (八尺瓊曲玉), and the mirror Yata no kagami (八咫鏡). ...

The Ise Shrine has a national treasure in its possession.-1...

External links

• Ise Jingu
• Wikitravel: Ise