Ise Jingu observes a great ceremony called the Shikinen Sengu: once every 20 years, the shrine buildings and all the sacred apparel and treasures are made completely anew, and the deity is reverently moved to the new sanctuary. Since the first Sengu was held about 1,300 years ago in the reign of Empress Jito, it has continued — despite interruptions during ages of war — to this day.

Why rebuild every 20 years?

No single reason has been settled on, but it is said to keep the sanctuaries forever fresh, and to ensure that the skills of the shrine carpenters and the traditional rites are passed on with certainty to the next generation. Twenty years is thought to be just the right interval for handing down these techniques. By being made ever new, the shrine preserves an eternal vitality — an idea known as "Tokowaka" (everlasting youth).

Eight years of ceremonies

The Shikinen Sengu begins with the Yamaguchi-sai, the rite for cutting the sacred timber, and proceeds through more than 30 ceremonies over roughly eight years. Some events — such as the Okihiki timber-hauling and the Oshiraishi-mochi white-pebble carrying — are joined by local residents and devotees from across Japan, and the whole of Ise moves together with the Sengu.

The next Sengu

The most recent Sengu, the 62nd, took place in 2013. The 63rd Shikinen Sengu is scheduled for 2033. A practice of prayer that has continued for 1,300 years is still being handed down in the very age we live in.