ISE JINGU Photo Book

Every twenty years, Ise Jingu, the foremost shrine in Japan, celebrates the tradition of Shikinen Sengu: a new shrine is constructed and the revered contents of the old shrine are passed across to the new one. 2013 is a Shikinen Sengu year.

Over many years, Japanese photographer Kankan has captured the significance of Ise Jingu’s sacred grounds – a project that has become part of his life’s work. This book, with its many rare and beautiful photographs, reveals delightful and often hidden scenes of Ise Jingu. We are invited into night ceremonies, normally closed to the public and introduced to the deep verdant forest that surrounds this holy site. The narrative accompanying the photographs will touch the reader’s soul and expose them to the deeper meaning of Ise Jingu. A photographic book, with insights that make it distinctively different from other Ise Jingu guides. English and French translations complement the original Japanese text.