Japan's Ise Jingu Shrine Rebuilt Every 20 Years in 1,300-Year-Old Shinto Tradition
By
petethomas
Master baker tier. Every paragraph earns its place on the tray.
Summary
The article describes the unique Shinto tradition at Ise Jingu, Japan's most sacred shrine, which is completely rebuilt every 20 years in a ritual that has continued for 1,300 years. The process involves ceremonial timber harvesting from ancient cypress trees, followed by a massive $390 million construction project that takes nine years to complete, only for the buildings to stand for about a decade before the cycle repeats. This tradition represents a profound spiritual practice where master craftsmen pour their skills into structures destined for demolition, embodying the Shinto concept of renewal and impermanence.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThe ritualistic harvesting of this sacred timber is part of a remarkable process that has happened every two decades for the last 1,300 years
Each generation, Ise Jingu, Japan's most revered Shinto shrine, is knocked down and rebuilt from scratch, a massive, $390 million demolition and construction job
The buildings at Ise will only stand for about a decade before the process is started all over again
As the priests consecrate the construction, the builders shout: 'A building for a thousand years! Ten thousand years! A million years and forever!'
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