Events
5 articles
Articles on the three Jingu festivals (Kanname-sai and Tsukinami-sai), hatsumode, and seasonal events around Ise. I answer simple-but-important questions like "When exactly is Kanname-sai?" and "Can ordinary visitors attend Tsukinami-sai?" The same rite shifts year to year in terms of crowding and access, so this category will be updated little by little each year.
Articles
- Ise 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.
- Ise 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.
- Hatsumode 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.
- Tsukinami-sai: Why a Monthly Rite Comes Twice a Year
Tsukinami-sai means monthly, yet Jingu holds it twice a year. What the name preserves, and how the rite fits into the nested cycles of time that shape Ise.
- Kanname-sai on October 17: Ritual Structure and Visitor Protocol
What happens at Kanname-sai on October 17, where each part of the harvest ritual takes place across Geku and Naiku, and how to visit Ise Jingu respectfully on the day.