Ise-Shima National Park
伊勢志摩国立公園
Ise-Shima National Park offers many traditional festivals, including rare ritual dances and unique diver competitions.
What it is
- National Park in the Ise-Shima region.
- Home to Ise Jingu, a major shrine complex.
What to see
- Geku shrine (Toyo’uke-daijingu).
- Naiku shrine (Kotaijingu).
- Shirongo Beach.
- Shirahige Shrine.
When to go
- October for Hatsuhobiki ritual with rice offerings.
- Spring and fall for kagura ritual dances.
- July for Shirongo Festival with ama divers.
In detail
It is said that there are more festivals in Japan than there are days of the year, and this is equally true of the Ise-Shima region, with its many rich, historical traditions.
More than 1,500 rituals and ceremonies are performed annually at Ise Jingu alone. These are typically carried out by the priesthood, but there are many events in which local residents and visitors participate. The October ritual of Hatsuhobiki is one such event, in which people make offerings of newly harvested rice. These are transported by carts to the Geku shrine (Toyo’uke-daijingu), and by boat to the Naiku shrine (Kotaijingu). There are also festivals in spring and fall where visitors get the rare opportunity to enjoy kagura, ritual dances accompanied by music performed as a form of prayer.
Other coastal celebrations venerate the sea gods. Ama, the traditional female free divers, pray for safety and a bountiful catch at the Shirongo Festival in July. The divers gather at Shirongo Beach and compete to be the first to harvest both a male and female abalone from the sea floor. The winner is regarded as the head diver for the coming year, and the abalone are offered at nearby Shirahige Shrine.
Text: 観光庁 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース. Reproduced unchanged. The notes above were written from that text by Japan Gems.
Where it is
Ise-Shima National Park Open in Google Maps
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