Ise Jingu Shikinen Sengu Blog
An English-language guide to the 63rd Shikinen Sengu of Jingu (2025-2033) and the broader Ise region. Topics include Shikinen Sengu, Jingu shrines, food, lodging, events, surrounding areas, and access.
Latest articles
- EventsIse Jingu Kanname-sai Runs to Oct 25: The Rice, Salt and Sake Behind It
Kanname-sai continues at every Ise Jingu shrine until Oct 25. How its rice, salt and sake are prepared months ahead, and what a visitor can notice this week.
- Jingu ShrinesVisiting Naiku at Ise Jingu: How the Ritual Layout Tells Its History
A walk through Naiku at Ise Jingu, from Uji Bridge to the four fences of the main sanctuary, and the layers of history built into each stop along the path.
- FoodIse Udon History: How Old Is the Soft Noodle, Really?
Ise udon is often called centuries old, even a thousand years. What the record actually shows: a pre-Edo home habit, pilgrim-era shops, and a name only fixed in 1972.
- Jingu ShrinesIse Jingu Kanmiso-sai, Oct 14, 2026: Silk and Hemp Garments for Amaterasu
Kanmiso-sai offers silk and hemp cloth to Amaterasu at Naiku and Aramatsuri-no-miya. In 2026 it is listed for noon on Oct 14. What is public and what is not.
- EventsIse Jingu Kanname-sai 2026: Hatsuhobiki Rice Processions to Geku and Naiku
Before the Kanname-sai offering, Ise's townspeople haul the new rice to Geku by cart and up the Isuzu River to Naiku. 2026 times and how to watch, as of Oct 1.
- Shikinen SenguIse Shrine and Impermanence: Tokowaka, the Shinto Idea Behind the Sengu
Why does Ise Jingu tear down perfect buildings every 20 years? A look at tokowaka, the Shinto ideal of staying young, and how it differs from Buddhist impermanence.
- AccessIse Jingu Parking: Naiku vs Geku Lot Rules and Peak Crowds
A practical look at Ise Jingu's Naiku and Geku parking lots: which one to use, when they close for festivals, and how locals dodge New Year gridlock.
- Surrounding AreasKongosho-ji: the Buddhist Temple That Guards Ise Jingu
Kongosho-ji sits on Mount Asama above Ise Jingu, guarding what tradition calls the demon gate. A look at its history, its sutra mounds, and how to reach it.
- LodgingFrom Oshi Houses to Jingu Kaikan: How Ise Housed Pilgrims
Before inns, Ise pilgrims slept in the homes of oshi priests. How that system ended in 1871, and what today's Jingu-affiliated lodging inherited from it.
- EventsHatsumode at Ise: How Many People Actually Come, and When
How many people actually visit Ise Jingu at New Year, how the crowds thin across January 1-3, and what the numbers do and do not tell you about who comes.
Older articles are listed on each category page.
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Everything is filed under seven categories, from the Sengu itself to the food, lodging and transport you need around a visit.