Isuzu River

For visiting Ise Jingu (Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine), it is recommended to allocate at least half a day to a full day. If you wish to fully experience the Inner Shrine, Outer Shrine, and stroll around the surrounding Okage Yokocho, you can expect to spend approximately half a day to a full day, depending on the depth of your exploration and whether you plan to savor local cuisine or visit other attractions. If you are just focusing on the main worship, it will take about 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you carefully visit all the sites, it will take about 60 to 90 minutes. If time is limited, a quick visit will take about 1 hour, but if you want to leisurely shop and taste snacks, it will require more time.

Ise Jingu (officially known as 'Jingu') primarily enshrines two deities: Amaterasu-Omikami (Inner Shrine) and Toyouke-Omikami (Outer Shrine). Before worship, you should purify your hands at the chozuya or the Isuzu River, and then worship at the Outer Shrine (Toyouke-Omikami Shrine) and the Inner Shrine (Amaterasu-Omikami Shrine) in that order, which is the traditional sequence. Amaterasu-Omikami is regarded as the ancestral deity of the Japanese Imperial family and the general tutelary deity of the Japanese people; Toyouke-Omikami is the guardian deity governing clothing, food, housing, and all industries.

To facilitate the 'Shikinen Sengu' (rebuilding of shrine buildings) ceremony held every 20 years, new timber, an empty plot for the new shrine building, piles of new paving stones, and small huts for storing tools are typically prepared next to the shrine.

Ise Jingu is the tutelary deity of the Imperial family, and only the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince are permitted to offer rituals. Historically, from the Emperor following Emperor Tenmu to Emperor Komei, successive emperors did not personally worship at Ise Jingu but conducted ritual offerings twice a year through the Saio system.

Before worshipping at Ise Jingu, worshippers first go to the chozuya or directly to the Isuzu River to perform the hand-purification ritual. This is to cleanse the body and mind as a sign of respect to the deities. The steps for purification typically involve scooping water with the right hand to wash the left hand, then switching hands to wash the right hand, then using the right hand to scoop water to wash the left hand, and finally holding the ladle in the right hand and washing the handle with the left hand.