-ise¹

city, Mie ken (prefecture), southern Honshu, Japan, on Ise Bay (Ise-wan) of the Pacific Ocean. The city contains several major Shinto shrines. Central among these is the Grand Shrine of Ise (Ise-daijingu; more commonly called the Ise Shrine, or Ise-jingu), which consists of the Inner and Outer shrines, about 4 miles (6 km) apart. According to tradition, the Inner Shrine (Naiku) was built in 4 BC. It is dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess and traditional progenitor of the Japanese imperial family. The Sacred Mirror, one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan (Sanshu no Jingi), is preserved there. The Outer Shrine (Geku), founded in the late 5th century, is dedicated to Toyuke (Toyouke) Okami, the god of food, clothing, and housing.