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 May
2 Konomoto-sai |
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On the day of Yamaguchi-sai, deep in the forest and
secretly at night, prayers were offered to the gods at
the base of the tree which will be used for the core
pillar of the new sanctuary. Since ancient times,
only a few priests had participated in this ceremony.
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| For the first time in the
history of Sengu, however, the purification ritual held
at Gojoden was opened to the media. After the ritual
at Gojoden, some of priests went to a secret site deep
in the forest to continue the ritual. |
| June
3 Misoma-hajime-sai |
| Cutting of the Japanese
cypress trees used for the Mihishiro started at Kisodani
National Forest (Akazawa Shizen Kyuyomura), Agematsu-cho,
Nagano Prefecture, which is about 280 kilometres from
Ise-shi. Mishishiro is the sacred wooden containers
in which the goshintai, the symbols of the deities would
be placed. In ancient times, trees were only cut down
in the mountains surrounding Ise Jingu, but now they
come from the Kiso Range in Nagano and Gifu Prefecture. |
| First, with the hope of safely cutting
the trees down, prayers were offered to the gods. Second,
two 300-year-old, 20 meter-high cypress trees in mihishiro,
sacred wooden containers were cut down according to
the traditional way. At Tsukechi-cho in Gifu, the same
ceremony was conducted. After this, six timbers, called
goshimboku, began the journey toward Ise. |
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The journey toward Ise of Goshimboku
(Sacred Timber)
From Kiso Range to Ise
In the ancient days, timbers were carried from Kiso
River through Ohminato (Ise), then up the Isuzu River,
and then pulled on water by staff to Naiku. In contrast
to get to Geku, where logs were pulled along the streets
of Ise by local citizens.
From the 60th Sengu, trucks were used for transportation
from Kiso Range to Ise. To go to Ise, however, Goshimboku
were carried by tracks along the same route along the
Kiso River like in ancient days, though it was not on
water but the road.
Townspeople, along these roads in Nagano, Gifu, Aichi,
and Mie, welcomed them by holding a festival. Accompanied
by joyful festivities, the six sacred timbers were transported
toward Ise. At the last stage, these trees were carried
to Ise Jingu in according to traditions |
| June
9 Mihishirogi Hoei-shiki |
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Goshimboku from the Kiso Range, reached
Isuzu River and were pulled through the waters to Naiku
by the Sengu staff of Ise Jingu and students of Kogakukan
University. |
| June
10 Mihishirogi Hoei-shiki |
| Goshimboku, which were carried to the
Watari Bridge over the Miya River by truck, were pulled
along the roads in Ise by townspeople to Geku. 1500
people including women and children participated in
this event. |
|
| September
17(at Naiku) & 19 (at Geku) Mifunashiro-sai |
| The ceremony for cutting the materials
used for the mifunashiro, the wooden containers holding
mihishiro (wooden container), was held at the precincts
of the main shrines and affiliated shrines. While five
color banners stream in the thick forest, a prayer was
offered to the gods, goddesses, and divine children
in a ceremony for the cutting of the trees. After this
ritual, the trees were cut down. |
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| Ceremonies & Events Conducted
in 2005 |
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