The water, rice, salt, mountain vegetables, and fresh fish offered during Higoto-asa-yu-omoike-sai are all produced in Ise Jingu.

While we’ve mentioned “Jingu Kanda” already, there’s also Jingu Umisomo which draws the waters of Isuzu River to grow fruits and vegetables. With over 50 varieties, it has been made to always produce fruits and vegetables in any season and sized to fit the earthenware used in Higoto-asa-yu-omike-sai, which are also made in Ise Jingu. For the sake of maintaining purity, however, these earthenware are not reused, and are broken into fine pieces to be returned to the soil. Even then, great care is paid at “earthenware manufacturing center” to ensure that the fingerprints of the craftspeople are not left, with about 60,000 of these made a year.

Salt is produced in “Mishiodo”. At the shore of the Isuzu River’s mouth, water is pulled in and evaporated in the midsummer sun, increasing the concentration of salt. This is then boiled and baked until it hardens. This is a technique for preserving salt for longer periods of time that has been passed down. On top of this, you can also find seafood in the Ise Bay, like red snapper and abalone, as well as seaweed, like kombu and nori. These kinds of foods are served as side dishes in the fresh meals prepared for the daily offerings.

Ise Jingu not only provides the necessity of food, but of clothing and shelter too.

These clothes are made of silk and hemp. In Kanhatorihatadono Shrine, women receive “nikitae” (silk clothing), whereas in Kanomihatadono Shrine, men receive aratae (hemp clothing). Along with the needle and thread, the materials for these garments are offered during ceremonial festivals.

Ise Jingu produces its own timber too. Once every 20 years, there’s a rebuilding of the shrine. Whereas we introduce this “Sengu” ritual in the Naiku Guide, we would like you to try recalling the Main Sanctuary in Geku: rebuilding a shrine that large requires a vast amount of timber, the trees for which are raised in the forests surrounding Ise Jingu.

Actually, during the Edo Period, the forests had become barren hills. Whether for heating or to warm baths, firewood was the main source of energy. Coupled with a boom in pilgrimages, the trees in Ise were over-harvested, and it became impossible to prepare for the Sengu ritual. Since then they began using the cypress forest in Kiso, but originally the timber had to be taken from the forests in Ise.

Thus, in the Taisho Era, a “Jingu Forest Management Plan” was made, a 200 year plan to ensure that Ise would supply 100% of its timber using its own forest. Although no one of that time lived 100 years later, the plan was still passed along between generations. As a result, in the Sengu ritual of 2013, 20% of all the timber was provided by Ise’s forest, and it’s projected that the 100% target will be reached 100 years later.

By protecting the forests, the river water will be full of nutrients to enrich the fields and the sea. At Ise Jingu, everything’s in a cycle. This is perhaps exactly why one thing cannot exist without the rest of the elements. The self-sufficiency in Ise Jingu is not merely for ecological benefit. By protecting the mountains, river, sea, and every part of its surrounding environment, the shrine is also protecting the longevity of Japan as a nation.

What happens to the timber used in the shrine after the Sengu ritual? Part of the demolished timber is used for a torii at Uji Bridge. While there’s a torii on both sides of Uji Bridge, the one in the front is made from recycled wood from a pillar in the Main Sanctuary at Geku. The back gate uses a pillar from the Main Sanctuary at Naiku. As we head to Naiku, remember that the first torii you see were once pillars that held up the Main Sanctuary at Geku.

Next: The Guide to Naiku

ON THE TRIP Editing Department

Original Japanese Text:　
Akihito Shiga
Translation:　
Rahul D. Ghosal
Autumn Smith
Audio:
Kate Beck
Photography:　
Hiroshi Honma

Some Photographs Provided by
Ise Jingu Shrine Office

*This guide was created based on documents and interviews and includes some interpretation done by us at ON THE TRIP. Theories differ between experts, so try to find out what really happened on your travels!