During the Edo Period (1600-1868), it became popular for people to partake in “okage mairi” processions, during which large groups of people flocked to worship together at Ise Jingu Shrine. During this time, a folk song called the “Ise Ondo” spread nationwide with the lyrics, “I want to visit Ise. I want to see the Ise Road, at least once before I die,” stirring a great longing among the people for Ise. That admiration and reverence have not abated over time. Even today, many people from all over Japan and the world visit Ise, and the Inner and Outer Shrines together receive approximately 8 million visitors a year.

The Inner Shrine (called the Naiku, but formally known as the Kotai Jingu) has stood on the banks of the Isuzu River since the reign of Emperor Suinin some 2,000 years ago. It enshrines the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, who is said to be the ancestor of the Imperial Family and has been revered by the people of Japan as their general guardian deity.
The entrance to the Inner Shrine consists of Uji Bridge. When you cross the bridge and proceed along the long, gravel-covered approach, you will find yourself in the sanctuary, with the original landscape of Japan – called “the home of the heart”– spread out before you.

The Outer Shrine (called the Geku but formally known as the Toyouke Daijingu) enshrines Toyouke Omikami, the deity who both provides food to Amaterasu Omikami in the Inner Shrine, and is revered as the guardian deity of food, clothing, shelter, and industry.
Passing through the Torii gate, visitors are surrounded by greenery and filled with a sense of clarity as they walk along the gravel-covered approach to the shrine.

When visiting a Shinto shrine, there are some proper manners and etiquette that should be observed.
To begin with, it is customary to cleanse the hands and mouth in a ritual called “te-mizu” or “cho-zu,” which literally mean, “hand water.” You wash your hands and rinse your mouth with water in a simplified form of the Shinto purification ritual called “misogi.” The idea is to purify both mind and body so you can feel clear and refreshed when visiting the shrine.
There is a place within the Inner Shrine called the Temizusha, where you can perform the cleansing ritual, but if you go a little further in, you will find the “Mitarashi-ba,” where you can cleanse yourself with water from the Isuzu River.
Upon reaching the shrine itself, you straighten yourself out and throw some money in the collection box. You then bow twice, clap twice, and bow once more. The deep bow performed at a shrine is called a “hai,” and clapping the hands is called “hakushu.” Both the “hai” and “hakushu” are time-honored manners of salutation in Japan. When visiting a shrine, one should do so with a heart of gratitude and a spirit of thanksgiving.