ISE JINGU AND THE PYRAMID OF ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

https://theprepared.org/features-feed/ise-jingu-and-the-pyramid-of-enabling-technologies




The Ise Jingu Grand Shrine sits in the forests of Ise-Shima National Park, in Japan’s Mie Prefecture. Ise Jingu (or simply Jingu) is a Shinto shrine dating back over 2000 years, and is one of the most important and sacred Shinto sites in Japan, standing at the top of all other shrines. More than 1500 rituals are held at Jingu every year, to pray for the Imperial family, a bountiful harvest, and a peaceful world.

The complex itself is spread over an area the size of Paris and consists of two large shrines, Naiku and Geku, and 123 smaller shrines. Naiku, the inner shrine, is dedicated to the worship of the sun goddess Amaterasu, and Geku, the outer shrine, is dedicated to Toyouke-Ōmikami, the god of agriculture, rice, and industry. Millions of pilgrims and tourists visit Jingu each year, but are strictly prevented from approaching Naiku and Geku, which are hidden behind large fences.


Jingu is famous for its tradition of periodic reconstruction, known as Shikinen sengu, or simply sengu. Every 20 years exact copies of Naiku, Geku, and 14 other shrines are built on empty sites next to the existing structures, after which the old structures are torn down. Altogether 65 buildings, bridges, fences, and other structures are rebuilt this way. This reconstruction at Jingu has taken place every 20 years (with some interruptions) for over 1300 years, since the first sengu took place around 690 AD.