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Ise tourist information
Ise tourist information
According to the official chronology, Ise Shrine (???? Ise-jing?) was originally constructed in the year 4 BC. Most historians date the shrines 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. Sacred objects of the royal family reside within, including a covered mirror which has reportedly not been looked into for over a thousand years. The shrines are famously dismantled and rebuilt 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. Preparation work started in 2005 and many festivals will be held in the years to come; alas, the most impressive of these, the "tree-pulling" festival Okihiki (御木曳) in which lumber is ceremoniously carted to the shrine, was already held in 2007 and you'll have to wait until 2027 for the next one.
Many other annual events are held around Ise, most of which are related to the shrine:
Early in April - Kagurasai Ceremony (for three days). There are spring and autumn versions of this event. Performances of dance, music, noh, shigin and displays of flower arrangement are held in the garden at Naiku. Attendance is free
Middle of July - Miya River Fireworks Festival. Though not as spectacular as some fireworks festivals in Japan, this is in fact a competition for fireworks producers. Original and unique fireworks can be seen. Nearest station is Yamada Kamiguchi（山田上口） (JR).
Late in September - Kagurasai Ceremony (for three days). The autumn version of the event (details above).
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Ise Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.