News
Records of Tokiwakai activities and stories about Ise Jingu
Festival Season Arrives in Ise｜Dedication Fireworks on July 18, Kawabiki from July 25
The 74th Ise Jingu Dedication National Fireworks Competition lights up the Miyagawa riverside on Saturday, July 18. Then, from Saturday, July 25, the Kawabiki — the river-hauling of sacred timber toward the once-in-20-years Shrine renewal — begins on the Isuzu River. Here is a guide to two weeks of the Ise summer filled with fireworks and river-hauling.
Read moreNow Recruiting — Tsuitachi-mairi & Kawabiki, Two Summer Days in Ise｜August 1–2, 2026
Tokiwakai will take part in the Kawabiki — the river-hauling of sacred timber for the once-in-20-years Shrine renewal — through the cooperation of the Furuichi hauling group. We are recruiting companions (13–15 people) for two summer days in Ise, from the Hassaku-sangu on Saturday, August 1, to the Kawabiki on Sunday, August 2. The next chance is about 20 years away — a rare experience of hauling the rope as a bearer of the tradition.
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July Tsuitachi-kai: With "Sasa Warabi-mochi," a Taste of Tanabata Coolness
On July 2, 2026, we held our "July Tsuitachi-mochi Gathering" at Nishi-Kanda Cosmos Hall in Chiyoda, Tokyo. July's tsuitachi-mochi is "sasa warabi-mochi" — bracken-starch mochi wrapped in bamboo leaves for a cool summer taste. Over the sweet, we shared stories of Ise Jingu, June's Futami Geshi-sai, and news from Kyoto's Gion, spending an hour in the spirit of Tanabata.
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Misogi Before the Wedded Rocks: Taking Part in Futami's Geshi-sai With Our Students
On June 21 — the summer solstice, the longest day of the year — we took part in the Geshi-sai at Futami Okitama Shrine, together with Tokiwakai's students. It is an Ise ritual of greeting the sun as it rises between the Wedded Rocks, and of misogi, purifying body and mind in the sea before them. Here is our account of a morning that turned from overnight rain to mist to blue sky, told alongside the words of a student who took part.
Read moreOur Student-Organization Affiliation Program — Free Membership for Students of Affiliated Organizations
Tokiwakai welcomes students through a student-organization affiliation program. Students belonging to an affiliated organization become members free of charge, and take part in events such as the Kawabiki and the Tsuitachi-kai by paying only each event's participation fee. Here is an overview of the program and how to take part.
Read moreWhat Are Okihiki and Kawabiki? The Once-in-20-Years Festival That Carries the Sacred Timber
Okihiki is the folk festival in which the people of Ise haul the sacred timber for the Shikinen Sengu — the ceremonial rebuilding of Ise Jingu — to the shrine. An introduction to its two forms, the land-hauling Okabiki and the river-hauling Kawabiki, and to the people who carry them on.
Read moreJune Tsuitachi-kai: With "Mugite-mochi," Giving Thanks for the Barley Harvest
On June 2, 2026, we held our "June Tsuitachi-mochi Gathering" at Nishi-Kanda Cosmos Hall in Chiyoda, Tokyo. June's tsuitachi-mochi is the humble "mugite-mochi," giving thanks for the barley harvest. Over talks on Ise Jingu and the Okihiki, and a lecture on auspicious directions, we enjoyed a gathering in the rice-planting season.
Read moreMay Tsuitachi-kai: "Kashiwa-mochi" of the Boys' Festival, and a Formal Visit to Yasukuni Shrine
On May 2, 2026, we held our "May Tsuitachi-mochi Gathering" at Nishi-Kanda Cosmos Hall in Chiyoda, Tokyo. May's tsuitachi-mochi is "kashiwa-mochi," a wish for the prosperity of one's descendants at the Boys' Festival. After the gathering, we made a formal visit to Yasukuni Shrine in the same ward. Here is our account of a day that also touched on Ise's Okihiki.
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We Watched the "Miyako Odori" in Kyoto's Gion and Experienced Maiko Hospitality at an Ochaya
On April 18, 2026, we visited Kyoto's Gion to watch the "Miyako Odori," a springtime tradition, and to experience maiko hospitality at an ochaya (teahouse) on Hanamikoji. It is a Tokiwakai program for learning Japan's traditional culture firsthand — a day of tea and a gorgeous stage at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo, and the hospitality of the hanamachi.
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Supporting Students as the Bearers of Ise's Living Culture
At Tokiwakai, we welcome students not as spectators but as bearers of Ise's living culture. Through student participation in the Kawabiki of the Grand Shrine renewal, and a long-term effort to revitalize the old pilgrimage-road town of Furuichi alongside students, here is how we want to support the next generation.
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"Caring for the Sacred Timber" — A Day with the Craft and Prayer of the Sengu
On June 13, we attended a public lecture by the Shinto Bunka-kai at Kokugakuin University. Hearing about the preparations and sacred timber for the 63rd Shikinen Sengu, we were moved anew by the depth of craft and prayer behind Ise's tradition of renewing everything once every 20 years.
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Roofs That Grow Small Forests — Thatched Shrines of the Naiku and the Floating Forest of Dazaifu
On the thatched roofs of the Naiku's Mishine-no-Mikura and Geheiden, grasses and young trees have quietly taken root, growing into tiny forests. A reflection on these roofs shaped by nature — and on the "floating forest" of Dazaifu Tenmangu's temporary shrine designed by Sou Fujimoto.
Read moreOur Official LINE Account Is Now Open — Get Event News First
Tokiwakai has launched its official LINE account. Be the first to hear about the Tsuitachi-kai gatherings, seasonal events, and more — please add us as a friend.
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The Story of Tokiwakai and What We Aim For Next
An introduction to the journey of Tokiwakai, a community rooted in Ise, and our wish to hand Japanese culture on to the next generation.
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What Is Ise Jingu? The Spiritual Home of the Japanese People
Formally called simply "Jingu," Ise Jingu comprises 125 shrines. A beginner-friendly introduction to its origins and the deities of the Naiku and Geku.
Read moreWhat Is the Shikinen Sengu? A 1,300-Year Prayer Renewed Every 20 Years
Once every 20 years, all the shrine buildings of Ise Jingu are rebuilt anew in the Shikinen Sengu. An introduction to the meaning of this great ceremony, carried on for 1,300 years, and to the next rebuilding.
Read moreWhat Is Tsuitachi-mairi? Greeting the Ise Morning with Gratitude on the First of Each Month
Tsuitachi-mairi is the early-morning shrine visit on the first day of each month, long practiced by the people of Ise. Learn its origins and the famous Tsuitachi-mochi, sold only on the first.
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How to Worship at Ise Jingu — Basic Etiquette for First-Time Visitors
From passing through the torii gate and purifying at the temizuya to the "two bows, two claps, one bow" — the basics of shrine etiquette for first-time visitors to Ise Jingu.
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The Naiku and the Geku — How the Two Main Sanctuaries Differ, and What to See
The Naiku and Geku form the heart of Ise Jingu. The deities enshrined, the distance between them, and the highlights of each — points worth knowing before your visit.
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The Uji Bridge — Crossing from the Everyday World into the Sacred
The Uji Bridge spans the Isuzu River at the entrance to the Naiku. The meaning of this bridge dividing the everyday world from the sacred, and its rebuilding every 20 years.
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The Isuzu River and the Mitarashi — Purifying Body and Mind in a Clear Stream
The Isuzu River flows beside the Naiku approach. An introduction to the old custom of purifying oneself in this clear stream instead of the temizuya, and the stone-paved Mitarashi.
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The Kanname-sai and the Rituals of Jingu — 1,500 Ceremonies of Unceasing Prayer Each Year
Some 1,500 rituals are performed at Ise Jingu every year. An introduction to the world of Jingu's ceremonies, centered on the most important of them all: the autumn Kanname-sai.
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Oharai-machi and Okage Yokocho — The Old Townscape at the Naiku's Gate
Oharai-machi, the approach street stretching from the Uji Bridge, and Okage Yokocho at its midpoint. The charms of a gate town filled with the pleasures of an Ise pilgrimage.
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The Food of Ise — Ise Udon, Tekone-zushi, and Akafuku Mochi
Another pleasure of an Ise pilgrimage is its local food: thick, soft Ise udon, tekone-zushi born from fishermen's meals, and the famous Akafuku mochi.
Read moreA Month-by-Month Guide to Tsuitachi-mochi — A Taste Available Only on the First
Akafuku's Tsuitachi-mochi is sold only on the first day of each month. A month-by-month guide, from February's Risshun Daikichi mochi to December's snow mochi, each reflecting its season.
Read moreFutami Okitama Shrine and the Meoto Iwa — The Beach of Purification Before an Ise Pilgrimage
The Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) on the shore of Futami in Ise City, and Futami Okitama Shrine. The old custom of purifying oneself here before an Ise pilgrimage, and the summer solstice sunrise.
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Your First Ise Pilgrimage — Access and a Model Course
For first-time visitors to Ise Jingu: the nearest stations, how to get there by bus, and the classic model course from the Geku to the Naiku, all in one simple guide.
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Goshuin and Jingu Taima — A Pilgrimage Keepsake and the Household Amulet of Ise
Ise Jingu's famously simple goshuin seal, and the Jingu Taima enshrined in households across Japan. On the keepsakes of an Ise pilgrimage and the bond you carry home.
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