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My Final Shrine Visit in Japan — Tokyo Daijingu, the Tokyo Ise Shrine
The highest-ranked shrine in Japan is Ise Jingu, located in Mie Prefecture. It is dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess and the ancestral deity of the Imperial family. For centuries, visiting Ise Jingu has been considered one of the most important pilgrimages for Japanese people.

 

However, for people living in Edo (today’s Tokyo), traveling all the way to Ise was not an easy journey. To allow people in the capital to worship the same deities as Ise Jingu, a shrine called Hibiya Daijingu was established in 1880. It was later moved to the Iidabashi area after the Great Kanto Earthquake and became known as Tokyo Daijingu.

 

Today, Tokyo Daijingu is often called “Tokyo no O-Ise-sama” — Ise Shrine in Tokyo. It is also well known as the birthplace of modern Shinto wedding ceremonies and is popular as a shrine for blessings in relationships and marriage.

 

This was my final shrine visit during this trip to Japan. After visiting many shrines from Kansai to Tokyo, it felt very meaningful to end my journey at a place that represents a connection to Ise Jingu, the spiritual heart of Shinto.