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Ise Grand Shrine
The shrine complex in Ise, Mie Prefecture, dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, ancestral deity of the imperial family, and regarded as the most sacred place in Shinto. It consists of the Inner and Outer Shrines and many smaller ones.
Officially just 神宮; people often call it お伊勢さん or お伊勢さま.
Common expressions
- お伊勢参り: a pilgrimage to Ise, hugely popular in the Edo period
- 内宮 / 外宮: the Inner and Outer Shrines
- 式年遷宮: the rebuilding of the shrines every twenty years
Cultural note
The Inner Shrine enshrines 天照大神, the sun goddess from whom the imperial line claims descent. In the Edo period millions of commoners made the journey to Ise, at times in sudden mass pilgrimages called おかげ参り.