Aramatsuri-no-miya, Betsugu shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Aramatsuri-no-miya is a betsugū, or subordinate shrine, of the Naikū of Ise Jingū in Ise, Mie Prefecture, standing a short way north of the main sanctuary. Its shinmei-zukuri hall is 6.42 m wide, 4.24 m deep and 4.48 m high, larger than the other betsugū, with a raised wooden floor, a thatched or bark-covered roof and an open front behind a slatted railing. It has no torii.
According to the Jingū zatsureishū, Aramatsuri-no-miya was founded in the tenth month of the 26th year of Emperor Suinin, together with the main hall of the Naikū. It is first documented in the 804 Engi-era Kōtaijingū gishikichō and appears in the 927 Engi-shiki. In 2013 it was the first of the Naikū's betsugū to be rebuilt, with the transfer held on 10 October at 8 p.m.
The name Aramatsuri is commonly explained as "shrine of the violent spirit," though the sources note the reason for using matsuri rather than mitama is unknown. The shrine ranks first among the ten betsugū of the Naikū. The Kanmisosai, held in May and October, takes place only at the main sanctuary and here.
From the Naikū main sanctuary, walk right past the corner of its stone wall, keeping the momidane-ishi on your right and the Misune-no-mikura and Geheidan on your left. Descend about forty steps, then climb the next flight to the shrine. On the lower steps, step around the cracked stone known as the fumanu-ishi. A remote worship spot stands near the momidane-ishi.
The shrine has no torii, for reasons the sources leave unexplained. Its stone steps, built in the Tenmei era and shifted slightly in 1909, were kept around a cedar tree standing mid-flight, which was deliberately left in place.
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