Ise
[key], city, Mie prefecture, S Honshu, Japan, on Ise Bay. It is one of the
foremost religious centers of Shinto, the site of the shrines of Ise. These
three shrines, set deep in a forest, are said to have been built in 4
b.c. They exhibit an archaic style of architecture, completely
without Chinese or Buddhist influence; until 1868 Buddhist priests and nuns
were forbidden to enter the shrines. The Naigu, or Inner Shrine, is
dedicated to Amaterasu-o-mikami, the “divine ancestress” of
the imperial family, and still houses the Sacred Mirror, one of the three
treasures that comprise the imperial regalia. Ise has a university and
several museums of antiquities. Pilgrimages to the shrines support a steady
tourism industry. It was called Uji-yamada until 1955.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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