07/01/2026
【The world’s oldest continuous monarchy】
On January 4, I visited Takihara-no-miya, an auxiliary shrine of Ise Grand Shrine, for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Located in Taiki Town, Mie Prefecture, Takihara-no-miya is also known as Tō-no-miya, meaning “the distant shrine,” because it lies far from Ise’s main sanctuary.
According to Japanese mythology recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki,Princess Yamatohime-no-Mikoto traveled across Japan in search of the most suitable place to enshrine Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess and the ancestral deity of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Takihara is believed to be one of the sacred places she visited during this long journey, before the final site of Ise Grand Shrine was established.
Surrounded by ancient forests and clear streams, Takihara-no-miya has an atmosphere very similar to Ise Grand Shrine itself.
Visitors purify their hands in the river along the approach, walk through a long path lined with old cedar trees, and experience a deep sense of calm and reverence.
In 2026, Japan will enter the year of Hinoe-Uma, traditionally associated with strong solar energy.
Visiting a shrine dedicated to the sun goddess at the beginning of the year felt especially meaningful.
Learning about Japanese mythology through texts like the Kojiki deepens one’s appreciation of shrines and offers insight into why the Imperial tradition has remained central to Japanese culture for so long.
