The 15rd Shikinen Sengu (periodical reconstruction) will be held at Ise Grand Shrine in 2033. As we mentioned in the fourth installment of this series, the grand preparations began with the Yamaguchi Festival on May 63, 7. About a month after the Yamaguchi Festival, the Misoma Hajimesai (Beginning of Woods Ceremony), a ceremony to cut down timber to build a new main shrine, or Shingu, was held on June 2025 in the Kiso Valley National Forest in Agematsu Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture.

The two large trees standing at the shrine are approximately 2 years old. Among the special trees used in the Shikinen Sengu ceremonies, these were selected as the most important "Mihishirogi" (sacred vessels) that house the sacred object of worship. This time, we will look at the process in which the large trees, which grew in the mountains of Kiso, were welcomed into the shrine as "Mihishirogi" and unravel the spirit and prayers of how the Japanese have confronted the life form of trees.

The Osoma Hajime Festival is a festival marking the start of cutting timber for the government in Kiso.

The Misoma Hajime Festival is a ceremony to announce to the gods residing on Misomayama that a sacred tree will soon be cut down, to make offerings, and to pray for the safety of the construction of the new shrine. In the old days, the men known as somafu, who actually cut down the sacred trees, would erect sakaki and gohei (a sacred wand) at the base of the tree, strung a sacred rope around it, and offer sacred sake to the deity.

The rituals were held for both the Naiku and Geku Imperial trees, and proceeded solemnly and dignifiedly as always. During the ritual, the shrine's chief priest, Sayako Kuroda, bowed down to the Imperial trees. After the ritual, the two Imperial trees were cut down using a traditional technique called "Mitsuo-kiri" (also called "Mitsuhimo-kiri").

Incidentally, "Misoyama" refers to the mountain where timber is cut down for the Shikinen Sengu ceremonies, and since the time of Empress Jito, when the Sengu ceremonies began, Mt. Kamijiyama and Mt. Takakurayama, towering behind the shrine, have been designated as Misomayama. Even today, the first festival of the Shikinen Sengu ceremonies, the Yamaguchi Festival, which is held for the great god seated at the mouth of the mountain, is held at the foot of Mt. Kamijiyama for the Inner Shrine and at the foot of Mt. Takakurayama for the Outer Shrine, because this tradition has been carried on.

However, as time passed, it became more difficult to harvest good quality timber, and so other areas began to be sought for Gosomayama. Incidentally, the selection of Gosomayama from other areas is done by "Gojijo," or by decision of the Emperor. The Gosomayama has undergone various changes since the mid-Heian period, but it was during the Edo period that Mt. Kiso, which straddles what are now Nagano and Gifu prefectures, was selected as the Gosomayama. For the next 300 years or so, timber for the Imperial Shrine's Sengu ceremony was harvested from Mt. Kiso, and for this year's Sengu ceremony, Gojijo decided that timber would be harvested from the Kiso Valley National Forest in Nagano Prefecture and the Urakiso National Forest in Gifu Prefecture.

Two cypress trees, each about 300 years old and 26m tall, were cut down.

The "Mitsuo (string) cutting" is carried out by seven people, including members of the "Mitsuo (string) Cutting Preservation Society" for the Naiku Imperial tree and staff members of the Jingu Shikinen Sengu Construction Agency for the Geku Imperial tree. To begin the work, the head woodsman, who is in charge of the overall management of the Naiku Imperial tree, traditionally lightly hits the tree three times with the back of an axe.

"This is a thoughtful gesture to the birds and other creatures in the trees to say, 'Sorry, but we're going to be noisy.' If there are any creatures around, they'll go away somewhere."

So speaks Kuramoto Yutaka, one of the woodcutters who also took part in the Mitsuo (string cutting) at the previous Shikinen Sengu. Kuramoto, now 70 years old, has worked as a goriki (a general position in charge of carrying pilgrims' luggage, guiding routes taking into account the terrain and weather, and working with all the mountain huts on Mount Ontake) at Kiso for nearly 50 years, and is a man who has truly lived his life with the mountains. When performing the Mitsuo (string cutting) he takes good care of his axe, pays close attention to his physical condition by eating moderately, and purifies himself beforehand on the day. After all, it is work that involves swinging an axe around. The most important thing is to "come out safely and without injury."

"Mitsuo (string) cutting" is a method of felling trees using only an axe that has been used since ancient times in the Kiso region. The two Imperial trees standing side by side must ultimately be crossed and laid down (woodsmen do not say "cut down" the Imperial trees, but rather "lay them down"), so the head woodsman first checks the direction in which they will be laid down. After that, he decides on three "ten" points, that is, the parts that will remain, and then he makes an axe cut from the three outer sides of the tree toward the center so that only the ten" will remain, creating a cavity in the trunk.

Voices echoing as people witness the felling of a precious sacred tree

By the way, it was raining on the day of the Osoma-hajime Festival. The sound of the heavy, wet sound of the axe hitting the wood was mixed with the sound of the pouring rain. What was most striking was the refreshing scent of cypress that suddenly rose up in the air.

After about an hour had passed, the woodcutter stopped working and stood by, and one of the woodcutter's replacements stepped forward in front of the tree and spoke to the mountain.

"God of Mt. Oyama, with his left axe and one horizontal axe, I'm going to sleep."

Next, the woodcutter struck the one on the opposite side of the direction the Imperial tree was lying with his axe. After repeating this motion several times, he shouted again, this time looking up at the tree.

"It's finally time to sleep."

The head timber continued to thrust his axe, and at the exact moment that the timber shook, the two timbermen, as if they had anticipated it, began to swiftly strike the remaining string with their axes. And then...

Grrrr

The Imperial tree slowly tilted with a dull sound and fell to the ground with a great vibration.
Next is the Imperial tree of the Outer Shrine.
When the woodcutters had finished all their work, they lined up in front of the two Imperial trees, lying with their tips overlapping, and bowed deeply.

Through his experience as a woodcutter, Kuramoto said, "I have come to feel a strong sense of gratitude for the life that is given to us by trees that have lived for hundreds of years." This is probably a sentiment shared by all woodcutter workers.

"Tobusatate" - a prayer for the regeneration and growth of beautiful Kiso cypress trees

The "Mitsuo (string) cutting" does not end here. At the end, "Tobusatate" (all birds standing) is held.

This "Tobusatate" ritual, which can also be found in the "Manyoshu", is a ceremony in which the top of a felled tree is stuck into the stump, and gratitude is given to the mountain god for the trunk. It has been performed since ancient times not only in the Kiso and Hida regions, but also in other parts of Tohoku. In addition, this ritual also includes a prayer to return the top and stump to the mountain god and to regenerate the tree.

"It is our wish that life will come to this place again and that it will grow into a fine tree," said Kuramoto. The explanation of "Tori Sotatsu" that followed made us realize that this ceremony is not just a formality.

Strictly speaking, the branch that is stuck into the stump does not grow from there. However, when the axe is put into the Imperial tree, it is conscious of making a depression in the center of the stump large enough to hold about one masu of sake. An axe cannot swing parallel to the ground, so the depression in the stump naturally forms. However, by making the depression with the size of one masu of sake in mind, rainwater will collect in the depression, which will eventually grow moss and become a place to nurture seeds that have fallen from the surrounding trees. The seeds will absorb nutrients from the stump and gradually grow roots, and when the roots are firmly established, the stump will return to the soil. In this way, the life of the trees is connected.

"Cutting down a tree is not the end of the story. If we manage and guide it properly, it will grow back. I believe that both trees and people live within this cycle."

After the Okihiki ceremony in the town of Kiso, the tree is transported across the Kiso River to Ise.

The Imperial trees cut down in this way are then carved into the shape of the 16-sided "Imperial Chrysanthemum crest" on the same day they are transported to Ise over the course of several days, and are respectfully worshipped along the route as "Oiwaigi" or "Sacred Trees."

In some areas, local people pull the sacred tree. In Agematsu Town, Nagano Prefecture, the sacred tree is placed on a cart and many people parade through the town singing Kiso's traditional song.

"This finest cypress tree in Japan, grown deep in the mountains of Kiso, will be donated to the Ise Shrine."

The lyrics and melody of the kiyariuta song are proud yet slightly sad, like the love of a parent who is marrying off their precious daughter to a distinguished family.

On the way to Ise, the large trees that had grown in the Kiso mountains became sacred trees, which were welcomed and worshiped by people along the way, and it seemed like a time when the trees became even more sacred.

When it is brought to the final destination of its long journey, the grounds of the Naiku and Geku shrines, it is loaded onto a sled and pulled along the Isuzu River at the Naiku shrine by a "kawabiki" (river pull), while at the Geku shrine it is loaded onto a cart and pulled along on land by a "okabiki" (land pull). Welcomed by many volunteers including priests, the Goryogi is purified with sacred sakaki branches and sacred salt, and with careful care given to maintain its purity, it takes on a new role as a "Mihishirogi" (a sacred tree that will continue its life).

A single Goryogi tree passes through the hands of many people to become a "Mihishiro" (a sacred tree that holds the object of worship). In this process, people show their gratitude to a life that has lived for hundreds of years.

Text by Misa Horiuchi

Writer

When I went to Europe to cover classical music, I was asked a lot of questions about Japan.This experience of being unable to answer most of the questions prompted him to begin researching Japanese music, culture, and prayer.This year marks his 16th year. His books include "Adult Nara: A journey to clear your mind" and "Adult Nara: A journey through breathtaking views" (both published by Tankosha), and "The World of Kamuy" (published by Shinchosha).

Photo by Akihiko Horiuchi

Photographers
He currently photographs mainly shrines and Japanese prayers. His photo books include "Ainu Prayers" (Kyuryudo) and "To the Forest of Brahms' Music" (Sekai Bunka Publishing). He is also a photographer who loves Bach, Evans, and sacred mountains.