Kotohoku-gu (Ise Jingu Naiku)

Located in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, this is the main shrine of Ise Jingu, enshrining Amaterasu-Omikami, the ancestral deity of the Imperial House and the collective patron deity of the Japanese people. According to the Nihon Shoki, the spirit of Amaterasu-Omikami was originally enshrined in the imperial palace. However, during the reign of the 11th Emperor Suinin, the imperial princess Yamatohime-no-Mikoto traveled through various provinces seeking a suitable location for the shrine. It is said that in the 26th year of Emperor Suinin's reign, she established the shrine on the banks of the Ise River. With a history of approximately 2,000 years, it has received deep reverence from the imperial court as the highest-ranking shrine enshrining the ancestral deity of the Imperial House. Since the medieval period, visits by commoners have expanded through the activities of Ise-kō (pilgrimage associations) and Onji (shrine guides), leading to the saying, 'Visit Ise once in your lifetime.' The Shikinen Sengu (the ritual rebuilding of all shrine buildings every 20 years) has been continued for over 1,300 years.