Ise Grand Shrine – Naiku
皇大神宮（内宮）
The foremost shrine in Japan, enshrining the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. Walk across Uji Bridge over the Isuzu River to enter a sacred grove of towering ancient trees.
The Inner Shrine, formally Kotai Jingu, enshrines Amaterasu-ōmikami, the ancestral deity of the Japanese imperial family, and it is the head shrine of Japan's roughly 80,000 Shinto shrines. The entrance Uji Bridge spans the Isuzu River, and around the winter solstice the sunrise lines up with the torii on the bridge. A gravel-paved approach passes the Isuzu River purification area and the Kagura-den (dance hall). It takes about 20 minutes on foot to reach the main sanctuary. The main hall is built in the Shinmei-zukuri style, the oldest style of Japanese shrine architecture, and is rebuilt exactly as before every 20 years in the Shikinen Sengu ceremony (last held in 2013, next in 2033). Worship is only permitted from outside the outer fence, and photography is prohibited. Admission is free. The shrine opens at 5:00 and closes between 17:00 and 19:00, depending on the season. Traditionally, visit the Outer Shrine before the Inner Shrine. Getting there: take a bus about 20 minutes from Iseshi Station.
Opening hours
Approx. 05:00–17:00/18:00/19:00 (varies by season)
Nearby sights
- Okage Yokocho & Oharai-machi
- Sarutahiko Shrine
- Jingu Chokokan Museum
- Ise Grand Shrine – Geku
- Ise Kawasaki Merchant District
- Kongosho-ji Temple & Ise-Shima Skyline
- Ise Ninja Kingdom
- Meoto Iwa & Futami Okitama Shrine