Date Name of the Ceremony Objectives of the Ceremony
May, 1985 Yamaguchi-sai
This ceremony is to offer prayers to the kami who resides at the foot of the mountains in order to obtain its permission to enter the mountain, and to cut the sacred wood that is to be used as the core pillar of the new sanctuary.
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May, 1985 Konomoto-sai This ceremony is to offer prayers to the kami who dwells in the root of the tree from which the core pillar of the new sanctuary building is made. This solemn rite is conducted in secret in the night of the Yamaguchi-sai. These first two ceremonies are conducted in the sacred mountains that are part of Ise Jingu.
June, 1985 Misoma-hajime-sai
This ceremony is to report to the kaimi the official start of the cutting of Japanese cypress, the wood used for the new sanctuary's building. Prayers are offered for the safety during the cutting and transportation of the wood.
These trees were cut at the Kiso range, in one of the most magnificent forests of Japan, in the Prefectures of Nagano and Gifu.
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June, 1985 Mihishirogi-
hoei-shiki 		This is the ceremonial transport of the materials for the mihishiro, the sacred wooden box to hold the symbol of the kami, from the Kiso area to Ise.
Sept, 1985 Mifunashiro-sai This is the ceremony for cutting the materials for the mifunashiro, the wooden box holding the mihishiro mentioned above.
April, 1986 Okihiki-hajime-shiki This ceremony marks the start of pulling the timber into the sanctuary. Shinryomin, people who live on the land once owned by the Jingu, transport the wood into both Naiku and Geku. They wear traditional uniforms and chant the Kiyari song of the Ise district.
April, 1986 Kozukuri-hajime-sai
This ceremony is to pray for the carpenters' safety when they begin to cut the wood.
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April, 1986 The first Okihiki-gyoji In this ceremony, the wood to be used for the Shikinen Sengu is brought to the sanctuaries. For the Naiku, it is pulled via the Isuzu River, and for the Geku it is pulled over land on carriages called okihikiguruma. The ceremony was conducted by people of Ise City and its neighboring districts together with members of the Worshipers' Association, altogether about 173,000 people attended.
July, 1986 Kari-mihishirogi-bassai-shiki This ceremony is to ask the kami who dwells in the tree that is used to make the kari-mihishirogi for permission to cut it. The kari-mihishirogi is the temporary wooden box used several years later, during the transfer ceremony, for holding the symbol of the kami.
June, 1987 The second Okihiki-gyoji
See the first Okihiki-gyoji of the ceremony in April, 1986.
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April, 1988 Chinchi-sai
This ceremony is to offer prayers of consolation to the kami who dwells at the site where the new sanctuary is to be built.
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Nov., 1989 Ujibashi-watari-hajime-shiki
 This ceremony is to celebrate the completion of the rebuilt Uji Bridge. The bridge is reconstructed every twenty years like the main sanctuary.
March, 1992 Ritchu-sai
 This ceremony is to erect the first pillar for the main sanctuary building.
March, 1992 Gogyo-sai
 This ceremony is to put the gogyo, metal plates to ward off evil spirits, under the gable at either end of the main sanctuary's roof. The ceremony is held at the day of the Ritchu-sai.
March, 1992 Joto-sai
This ceremony is to lift up the ridge pole of the main sanctuary building.
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July, 1992 Nokitsuke-sai
 This ceremony is for the thatching of the roof with miscanthus grass.
July, 1992 Iraka-sai
 This ceremony is to fix the metal ornaments on such parts of the main sanctuary as the Chigi (cross-beams).
Aug., 1993 Oshiraishi-mochi-gyoji
 This ceremony is to place the oshiraishi, the white pebbles, on the sacred ground around the new sanctuary, by the people of Ise city or by worshipers coming from all over the country. 206,000 people took part in this ceremony.
Sept., 1993 Mito-sai
 This ceremony is to make the hole in the key for the sacred door of the new building.
Sept., 1993 Mifunashiro-hono-shiki
 This ceremony is to place the mifunashiro, the sacred wooden box for holding the symbol of the kami, in the main sanctuary.
Sept., 1993 Arai-kiyome
 In this ceremony, the newly constructed building is purified with sacred water.
Sept., 1993 Shin-no-mihashira-hoken
 This solemn ceremony is to place the shin-no-mihashira, the sacred core pillar, at the center of the main sanctuary.
Sept., 1993 Kotsuki-sai
 This ceremony is to consolidate the base of the pillars of the new main sanctuary.
Oct., 1993 Gochin-sai
 This ceremony is to celebrate the completion of the sanctuary building and to offer prayers to the kami who dwells at the foundation of the newly reconstructed sanctuary to make the ground stable.
Oct., 1993 Onshozoku-shinpo-tokugo
 The ceremony is to confirm that the newly made clothing and treasures offered to the kami by the Emperor are in accordance with tradition.
Oct., 1993 Kawara-oharai
The ceremony is to purify the new clothing and treasures that are to be dedicated to the kami, along with the Saishu, the most sacred priestess, Daiguji, the supreme priest and other priests.
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Oct., 1993 Okazari
 The ceremony is to decorate the inside of the new building with a part of the new apparel and sacred treasures, in order to prepare it for Sengyo, the main transfer ceremony of the symbol of the kami.
Oct.,1993 Sengyo
 		This is the ceremony to transfer the symbol of the kami from the old to the newly constructed building. It is the culmination of all Shikinen Sengu ceremonies.
Oct., 1993 Omike
 The Omike ceremony is to serve the first sacred food to the kami in the new building after the Sengyo ceremony.
Oct., 1993 Hohei
 This ceremony is conducted by the Imperial envoy to offer sacred silk and other sacred materials to the kami the day after the Sengyo ceremony.
Oct., 1993 Komotsu-watashi
 This ceremony is to transfer some sacred treasures that were left in the former sanctuary to the Saihoden, the western treasure house, on the new compound.
Oct., 1993 Mikagura-mike
 This ceremony is to offer sacred food to the kami before the mikagura ceremony.
Oct., 1993 Mikagura
 This ceremony is conducted by court musicians of the Imperial Household who offer ceremonial court music and dance, together with most treasured special ceremonial music. Mikagura takes place the night after the Sengyo.
Oct., 1993 Sengu at the sanctuary Aramatsuri-no-miya and the sanctuary Taka-no-miya Both at the sanctuary of Aramtsuri-no-miya and Taka-no-miya, the Sengu ceremony was conducted in the same year, after the ceremonies at the main sanctuaries in Naiku and Geku were completed.
1994 Sengu at 12 Betsugu Sanctuaries
Each Sengu Ceremony of the 12 Betsugu Sanctuaries was conducted during the year following the Sengu Ceremonies of main sanctuaries.
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(Enlarged photo)