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Jingū

Jinja and Jingū

With preparations for the next Shikinen Sengū at Isë Jingū properly underway, the survey that Jinja Shinpō carried out about hatsumōdë this year asked specifically about the distribution of Jingū Taima and gathering support, primarily financial, for the Shikinen Sengū. Jingū Taima are the ofuda for Isë Jingū, and Jinja Honchō’s official position is that every household in Japan should have one. They are distributed through local jinja, mainly at the end of the year, although you can receive one at almost any jinja throughout the year. One of Jinja… Read More »Jinja and Jingū

Mihishiroki Hōeishiki

At the end of February, Isë Jingū announced the dates for the first large public events of the 63rd Shikinen Sengū, and this was reported in the 10th March issue of Jinja Shinpō. The Mihishiroki Hōeishiki will take place on June 9th at the Inner Sanctuary and June 10th at the Outer Sanctuary. This is the “Honourable Hishiro Tree Pull Offering Ceremony”, and it involves trees being pulled into the precincts of the Inner and Outer Sanctuaries. These are (almost) the most sacred trees in the whole ceremony — the… Read More »Mihishiroki Hōeishiki

Starting with Trees

The 24th February issue of Jinja Shinpō had two front-page articles about the Shikinen Sengū at Isë Jingū, both closely connected with trees. The first announced the determination of the dates for the first two matsuri of the Shikinen Sengū. There are 33 matsuri (on the official count) involved in the Shikinen Sengū, and they take place over the course of eight years. This is why the Shikinen Sengū is not referred to by a year, but by a number — this one is the 63rd. (For accessibility, I am… Read More »Starting with Trees

Ritual Cleaning

Cleaning is a very important part of the life of a priest (or miko, for jinja that have them). The article from Isë Jingū in the 27th January issue of Jinja Shinpō was about the ritual for cleaning the outside of the sanctuaries there. The ritual is carried out on the day before the major annual matsuri, and on the 10th, 20th, and final days of each month. Six priests are involved: one negi (a senior priest), two gon-negi (also quite senior at Jingū), one gūshō, and two shusshi (junior… Read More »Ritual Cleaning

Misomayama

The preparations for the 63rd Shikinen Sengū at Isë Jingū continue. According to the 3rd February issue of Jinja Shinpō, the Tennō designated the “misomayama” on January 15th. The misomayama are the forests from which the timber necessary for the rebuilding will be harvested. For the last few centuries, they have been in the Kiso region, a mountainous part of central Japan in Nagano and Gifu Prefectures. That tradition was followed this year, with Kisotani National Forest and Urakiso National Forest being designated. Because these are national forests, Jingū will… Read More »Misomayama

Jingū Shikinen Zōeichō

As I have mentioned before, preparations for the next Shikinen Sengū at Isë Jingū, which is expected to be held in 2033, have begun. Last year was concerned with preliminaries, but if things follow the normal schedule the first two matsuri, the Yamaguchisai and Konomotosai, will be performed in May this year. The Shikinen Sengū is an enormous job, involving not only the rebuilding of the main sanctuaries, but also the crafting, following the traditional specifications, of hundreds of sacred treasures. Managing this process is also an enormous job, and… Read More »Jingū Shikinen Zōeichō