"Tsuitachi Mairi" is a custom of visiting a local shrine or other shrine on the first day of a new month. This custom, which gives thanks for having safely passed the previous month and prays for good health and safety for the family in the new month, has been practiced since ancient times all over Japan.

In particular, in the Ise region, there used to be a custom called "Hassaku Sangu," in which people would visit both the Inner and Outer Shrines of the Grand Shrine of Ise in the early morning of August 1st, offer the first harvests of millet or rice to the altar, and pray for a bountiful harvest and good health.

This time, we will introduce the "Hassaku Mairi," a tradition that continues the "Hassaku Sangu" tradition to this day, as well as various aspects of visiting the shrine that are a little different from the usual.

Have you heard of the term "Hassaku pilgrimage"?

"Saku" originally refers to the first day of the month in the lunar-solar calendar. In other words, "Hassaku" is an abbreviation of "Sakujitsu," meaning the first day of August.

Incidentally, the first day of the month can also be read as "Tsuitachi." In the lunar calendar, which uses the waxing and waning of the moon, the first day of each month corresponds to the new moon, so the word "Tsuitachi" is thought to have been derived from "Tsukitachi," which means the beginning of the month.

The prayer at the origin of the "Hassaku Sangu" and the current "Hassaku Mairi"

The "Hassaku Sangu" ceremony took place on August 22st of the lunar calendar, which corresponds to late August to late September in the Gregorian calendar (September XNUMXnd in XNUMX). This means that for rice farming, it's an important time when the rice ears swell, turn golden, and ripen. Farmers, especially at this time of year, likely kept a watchful eye over their rice ears, anxious and nervous, morning and evening, checking the weather.

In particular, the main deity of Ise Grand Shrine is Amaterasu Omikami, who is likened to the sun. There must have been no greater source of encouragement for the farmers living nearby. Prayers for a bountiful harvest were naturally more earnest than other "first-day visits," and if the harvest was in time, the first harvest of rice would be brought to the altar. If not, the first harvest of millet, which was the earliest harvest of the five grains at the time, would be offered to the altar. It is possible to speculate that this is the origin of the Hassaku pilgrimage, as people expressed gratitude for the safe rice cultivation up to that point and prayed for a bountiful harvest to come.

Nowadays, although it is not possible to bring the first harvests of millet or rice, the "Hassaku Mairi" ceremony is still held in the early morning of August 1st of the solar calendar, when people visit both the Outer Shrine and the Inner Shrine to pray for a bountiful harvest, safety for their families, and good health.

At the Inner Shrine in particular, a custom unique to the Ise region is passed down on this day in which water is drawn from the Isuzu River that flows through the shrine grounds, offered to the Takimatsuri no Kami enshrined on the riverbank, and prayers are made for good health and safety for the household for the year.

By the way, this water can be taken home and offered to the household altar, and it is believed that if you soak the area in the water if you experience pain anywhere on your body, the pain will go away.

What kind of god is Takimatsuri-no-kami, enshrined on the banks of the Isuzu River?

Takimatsuri-no-kami, which offers water from the Isuzu River, is one of the shrines under the jurisdiction of the Naiku. However, the shrine does not have a main building, and the enshrined deity, Takimatsuri-no-kami, is enshrined on a rock surrounded by a sacred fence and a gate.

Near the shrine is a river confluence where the Isuzu River and Shimaji River meet, and because the shrine is located on the banks of a rapids, or a rapids where the water flows rapidly, it is thought that the shrine may have been enshrined as the guardian deity of the river even before Amaterasu Omikami was enshrined there.

Incidentally, in the local area, before praying at the main shrine, it is customary to first purify one's hands and mouth at the washbasin, tell Takimatsuri-no-kami one's name and address, and then ask Amaterasu Omikami to intercede with one another by saying something like, "I'm on my way now, so please take care of me," and this custom is known as "Tottsuki-san" or "Toritsugi-san."

While it is a familiar presence for the common people, it is said that it is treated as a branch shrine when it comes to rituals. It seems that Takimatsuri-no-kami is a special god.

On the first day of every month, a sacred horse visits the main shrine, known as the "Shinme Kenzan."
One-day fun at Okage Yokocho

The first of every month is also the day when a regular event called "Shinmekenzan" takes place. Sacred horses are horses dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami and Toyouke Omikami. These sacred horses are brought to the main shrines of both the Inner and Outer Shrines on the mornings of the 11st, 21th, and XNUMXst of each month, dressed in horse robes bearing the chrysanthemum crest, signifying that they have been dedicated by the Imperial Family.

Horses have been considered the vehicle of the gods since ancient times, and the custom of offering horses to shrines is said to have existed since the Nara period. Although this custom has been replaced by votive plaques over time, the Imperial family continues to offer horses to the shrines to this day.

These sacred horses, which are never used to carry people, are kept in two at each shrine, and after their sacred horse parade, they stay in the stables within the grounds of both shrines for a while. They have cool, gentle eyes and a calm expression. Just looking at them warms the heart.

On this day, Oharaimachi, the town in front of the Inner Shrine, is bustling from early morning. Various stores prepare different rice porridge and mochi rice cakes each month to coincide with the first day of the month visit, and people waiting to buy them form long lines from as early as 4 a.m.

By the way, the first day of the month rice cake that Akafuku, a long-established Japanese confectionery shop in Ise, prepares in August is "Hassaku Awa Mochi." In the Ise region, it is said that there was a tradition of eating Awa Mochi on August 1st as a lucky charm.

A morning market was also held in Okage Yokocho, with locally grown vegetables and other products lined up.

Today, Oharaimachi is lined with many restaurants and souvenir shops, but up until the Edo period, it seemed a little different.

At the time, this area was lined with mansions of priests, who were known as onshi, or priests who traveled around the country distributing sacred talismans (ofuda) from the shrine and spreading the faith in Ise. When worshippers visited, they would stay at their mansions and offer hospitable hospitality, including offering purification rituals and performing kagura dances.

Walk along the Sangu-kaido road that leads from the Outer Shrine to the Inner Shrine, imagining the pilgrimages to Ise Shrine in the past

Starting with the Hassaku pilgrimage, I have been experiencing the unique customs of the Ise region, traveling back and forth between the past and the present as I have been reporting. At the end of the day, I decided to walk along the Sangu-kaido road that leads from the Outer Shrine to the Inner Shrine, imagining what the pilgrimage to Ise was like in the past.

Our guide was Otoha Satoru, Deputy Director of the Public Relations Office at the Grand Shrine of Ise. It was an opportunity to learn about a new side of Ise that you can't experience in a quick visit.

Ise City is crossed by three main rivers: from the west, the Miyagawa River, the Seta River, and the Isuzu River. In the past, whether you entered Ise from the Kanto or Kansai region, you had to cross the Miyagawa River before you could visit the shrine.

People walking along the Ise Kaido from the Kanto region boarded boats at Sakura-no-Watashi, near where the JR Sangu Line railway bridge is now, while people traveling along the Ise Hon-kaido from the Kansai region boarded boats at Yanagi-no-Watashi, near Watarai Bridge, a little further south, and crossed the Miyagawa River. The two routes then met at Sujikai Bridge, of which only the railing remains. They are said to have headed to the Outer Shrine from there.

In other words, from a geographical standpoint, it was natural for ordinary people who visited the shrine on foot to enter through the Kita Mikado Gate of the Outer Shrine, rather than the main gate.

The main gate was used when imperial envoys (messengers from the emperor) visited. They dismounted from their horses at a place set up in a corner of the current approach to the Geku Shrine, and walked from there to the main shrine.

After praying, we walked along the Ise Furuichi Pilgrimage Road, which was built during the Eiroku era at the end of the Muromachi period, to the Inner Shrine.

Incidentally, Furuichi was an entertainment district located in "Ainoyama," between the Outer Shrine and the Inner Shrine, and flourished as one of Japan's three major red-light districts, alongside Yoshiwara in Edo and Shimabara in Kyoto. The humorous novel "Tokaidochu Hizakurige," written by Jippensha Ikku, a writer from the late Edo period, also depicts Yaji and Kita visiting the town of Furuichi.

A walk along the former Sangu Kaido road. Remnants of history can be seen everywhere in "Ainoyama"

However, Otowa says that the original Sangu Kaido road took a slightly different route.

"Neither the Mikimoto Road nor the Miyuki Road that currently passes in front of the Geku Shrine existed in the past, and the road that circles Magatama Pond was built in 17 during the Edo period. Before that, although it no longer exists, people would have either gone from Kazenomiya Shrine in the Geku Shrine down the ridge of the mountain behind it to arrive at Okamoto (outside the shrine grounds), or they would have passed in front of a shop called Buta-sute on the current Geku Shrine approach before arriving at Okamoto, and then walked along the current Ise-Furuichi Sangu Kaido road and along the course of the Onbe River (another name for the Seta River)."

It is said that they used Oda Bridge to cross the Minie River. The name of this bridge is also recorded in documents from the Heian period, so it is thought to have a long history.

However, Obezaka, which continues from the current Odabashi Bridge, is a new road. Otoha says that before the Edo period, people would have walked along a narrow path that continued from the current Sunokobashi Bridge, one block north of Odabashi, to a small hill called "Ainoyama."

"I think it's possible that what is now Sukoshi Bridge was called Oda Bridge in the past."

Indeed, walking along the narrow road that stretches from Sukobashi Bridge, you will come across many places that give you a sense of the rich history. For example, there are the remains of Myokendo, which has a history of over 1000 years, and the remains of the house where the Watarai clan, who served as priests of the Outer Shrine for generations until the Edo period, are said to have lived during the Yayoi and Heian periods. The clan's family temple was also once located in the vicinity, and there is also the Ujiyamada Mausoleum Reference Site, which is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Agency and is thought to be the tomb of Yamatohime-no-Mikoto... One intriguing place after another appears.

Before I knew it, it was evening. A day spent walking engrossed in the town of Ise, where the past and present intertwine, was slowly and quietly drawing to a close.

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.