A koshinto or koshinzuka is a monument or pillar often erected at the entrance to a village to protect it frome pidemics and calamities.

Koshin is a folk belief with Taoist origins dating back to the HeianPeriod (794-1185). According to the ancient sexagenary calendar, every60th day was koshin day.

It was believed that while everybody slept during the night of this day, the Sanshi (three worms or entities) inside the body would escape and ascend to report the sins of the person to the Celestial Gods, eventually shortening their lifespan.

It developed into a faith under which believers would stay up all night to prevent this.

Tourist brochures are available here, and members of the "Ise Jingu Tourist Guide Association" are on standby to provide guided tours of Geku and Naiku between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM (reservation required). Additionally, free Wi-Fi, bicycle rentals, and stroller rentals are available for visitors. (Source: Iseji Navi)

Oharai-machi or “purifying town” is a district replicating Edo era streets near the entrance to the Naiku shrine. There is a plethora of traditional sweet shops, restaurants serving local food and snacks, souvenir shops, etc. along the 800-meter-long street.In the middle is Okage-yokocho or “blessing alley”, a collection of around 60 stalls selling foods, crafts, and nostalgic souvenirs. Oharai-machi is one of the most visited tourist sites in the area, bustling with visitors year-round.

Yama-no-Kami is believed in as the spirit that protects the mountain, and is considered to be a female deity with fertility, fecundity and life-giving powers. It is an ancient animistic belief and phallic symbols are often given as offerings and Yama-no-Kami is worshipped to appease natural disasters. Yama-no-Kami has a strong relationship with agriculture, and is said to descend from the mountains to be the god of fields in the spring and return to the mountains when the harvest ends in the fall. There are many places where Yama-no-Kami is enshrined along the Kumano Kodo.

The Shikinen Sengu is the biggest ritual at the shrine. Every 20 years, in addition to the Shogu of the Naiku and Geku, 14 superior affiliated shrines and Uji-bashi Bridge, 1,576 items of 714 types of associated treasures and objects including the items that decorate the inside and outside of the main sanctuaries, swords, saddles and instruments are rebuilt or remade, and Amaterasu-Omikami relocates to an adjacent sacred site. The Shikinen Sengu takes place over nine years and is made up of 33 rituals and events combining the Okihiki log pulling event, the Oshiraishimochi white pebble carrying event, the Shinnomihashira dedication, the relocation ceremony and the last Mikagura ritual dance ceremony. Since the first relocation was carried out at the initiative of Emperor Tenmu in 690, this ceremony has been repeated for more than 1,300 years, with the 62nd reiteration completed in 2013.
You can see many of the associated treasures and objects used for 20 years at the Jingu Museum and the tools used at the Sengu-kan.

Located next to Michi-no-Eki Okuise Odai, this tourist information center and specialty shop offers a warm, wood-accented atmosphere. It features a wide selection of local souvenirs and brochures for Odai Town and surrounding areas. The rest area is available 24 hours a day, so feel free to stop by at anytime.

Located next to Michi-no-Eki Kitsutuki-kan, this facility offers a warm and inviting atmosphere filled with the natural scent of locally sourced Mie Prefecture cypress and cedar. We provide hands-on tourism experiences that showcase the rich natural resources of Taiki Town. Feel free to stop by for sightseeing information as well.