Necu
Ise shrine site is actually a double shrine, namely inner palace or inner palace and outer palace or outer palace. There are also some holy places dedicated to many other smaller gods or Shinto spirits. Naiku, officially named Kotaijingu, is the most important of the two, dedicated to the sun goddess and the supreme god of the Shinto Pantheon. According to tradition, this temple was built in the Sui and Ning Dynasties in 4 BC. The architectural style is yuiitsu shinmei-zukuri, imitating the ancient granary architecture. The structure is made of cypress, rectangular (10 m /33 ft high), with balcony and gable roof; There are no windows. Under the floor is a symbolic pillar called shin no mihashira or "Heart Pillar".
The decorative elements of the temple include the gold-plated hat at the end of the column and 33 suedama or burning spheres along the balcony railing. The roof is made of thatch and kaya grass, and the chigi of the sloping roof extends beyond the ridge to form a row of external V-shapes. There are also katsuogi or short rails laid at right angles of 10 on the roof. Two large pillars without a base support the roof, one at each end of the building. The whole building is located on a 2.4m (8 ft) overhead platform. ) high. The entrance is on one side, and there is a covered walkway leading to the stairs.
Every 20 years, the main buildings of the site will be rebuilt accurately, using 65,438+02,000 cypress logs, some of which are from 400-year-old trees.
The most sacred object in the shrine, that is, the five platforms or appearances of the goddess, is the mirror (Yata Nojing), which is used by the gods to lure her out of SUSANOO's self-imprisonment in the cave after abandoning her brother. This mirror is considered to be part of the Japanese royal family (Miki Noi). According to tradition, in 4 BC, Princess Yamato (also known as Yamato Ji Ming) was enshrined in Yi Shi after being confirmed by the gods in heaven. According to the Japanese Chronicle (Japanese Chronicle, AD 720), Zhao Tian Great God declared:
The kamikaze Yi Shi is the wave to repair the eternal world, one after another. This is a quiet and pleasant land. I want to live in this land. (Scott lyttleton, 76)
The eldest princess obeyed her instructions and became the first priestess (saio) of the shrine, which started the long tradition that the emperor's daughter played this role.
Geku
About 5 kilometers walk through the forest from Neijiu shrine, Geku (also known as Geigu) shrine, officially named Toyouke Dajingu, is dedicated to Toyouke omikami, the god of food, clothes and shelter. It was traditionally built in 478 AD, during the reign of the entertainment emperor (456-479 AD). According to legend, in his dream, Emperor Zhao Tian was instructed by Lord Zhao Tian to build a shrine dedicated to the goddess of the sun. The design of Geku building is very similar to that of Naiku Shrine. Ornaments include 3 1 modama and 9 Shengmu. Surrounded by high walls, it is impossible to really see the Geku building except the apex of the roof. Like Necho shrine, only the boss and the emperor can enter.
Ujibashi
In addition to these two shrines, there are more than 125 other buildings in Ise Shrine. These include affiliated shrines, Saikan, imibiyaden and anzaisho. One of the most impressive is Ujibashi, which spans Isuzukawa. The wooden bridge leads to the shrine of Neiku, which is 102 m (335 ft) long and 8.2 m (27 ft) wide. Huge arches (7.3 meters /24 feet high) stand at both ends, which is a traditional symbol of separating the sacred space from the outside world. Five million people cross the bridge every year.
Worship and festivals
Believers purify themselves through Isuzu baptism. When they pay homage, they especially pray for the needs of the royal family and Japan as a country and themselves. Visiting the Yasukuni Shrine itself is regarded as one of the pilgrimages by Shinto, and even the emperor visits it every year. Ise Jingu Temple holds the Divine Music Festival twice a year, in April and September each year, when there will be traditional Japanese drama, poetry, dance and music performances and flower arranging performances.
Ritual reconstruction
Since Empress Cidong (686-697 AD), Zhao Tianshen House, Fengyou Shrine, other 14 buildings, Ujibashi and torii will be symbolically rebuilt next to existing buildings every 20 years. This process is called Four Seasons Fairy Palace. The reconstruction plan will take eight years to revitalize the temple built in full accordance with the existing design. Then, the fragments of the old shrine were redistributed to shrines all over Japan, where they were integrated into the walls there and injected with new energy. 20 13 is the 62nd and latest reconstruction plan of Ise Shrine. In addition, other structures of the complex have not been completely ignored, because 43 buildings will be rebuilt every 40 years.
All these reconstructions were completed with traditional tools, without nails, and it took 65,438+02,000 huge cypress logs, most of which came from 200-year-old trees, to reach the necessary size. The key thorn of the two main temples comes from the 400-year-old cypress, because their diameter must be 1.4 meters (4.5 feet) to bear the weight. When the new temple is ready, the monks will see the priests transfer the most sacred temple objects, including the Five Gods Pagoda, to their new homes and modestly hide them in silk curtains. In addition to architectural renovation, many other sacred objects in the site are completely rebuilt regularly, including jewelry, clothes, swords and saddles.