This year, two of Japan’s leading Shinto shrines, the
Ise Jingu Shrine in Mie Prefecture and Izumo Taisha
(Grand Shrine) in Shimane Prefecture, are to undergo a
ceremonial rebuilding – the first time in Japanese history that two
major shrines have been rebuilt in the same year.
In Japan, this shikinen sengu tradition involves the temporary
removal of the kami or deity image from its sanctuary in a shrine
to allow the building to be rebuilt over a period of years while
adhering strictly to the original design. On completion, the kami is
transferred to the new building.
There are a number of theories as to the origin of the shikinen
sengu tradition, including the desire to maintain the wooden
structure of the building in its original state, the desire to hand down
traditional shrine building techniques, and the need to preserve the
spiritual cleanliness of the shrine. Involving as it does two leading
shrines believed to be vortex sites of spiritual energy, this important
ritual is already attracting growing attention from the Japanese
media and from sightseers. |
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The Ise Jingu undergoes shikinen sengu reconstruction once every twenty years. © AFLO
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The Izumo Grand Shrine is reconstructed every sixty years or so. © AFLO
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