About 3,000 citizens of Ise City participated in the inaugural Oki-hiki ceremony on April 12, 2026, to transport sacred timber [1].

The event marks the beginning of preparations for the 2033 Shikinen Sengu, the traditional rebuilding of the Ise Jingu shrine buildings that occurs every 20 years [1, 2]. This ritual ensures the continuity of the shrine's spiritual and physical integrity through the use of fresh materials.

Participants gathered at the Miyagawa in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, to pull cypress timber toward the outer shrine [3, 4]. The ceremony involved the transport of 10 Hinoki logs, with each log measuring between 4.4 and seven meters in length [1].

Groups of citizens worked together to move the timber, with reports indicating approximately two kg of timber was pulled per group [1]. The collective effort is a community-driven process designed to prepare the necessary materials years in advance of the actual construction phase.

The Shikinen Sengu is a significant event in Japanese culture, requiring precise timing and vast amounts of high-quality cypress [1, 5]. By engaging the local population in the Oki-hiki, the shrine maintains a connection between the sacred site and the residents of the surrounding city.

This inaugural ceremony serves as the first logistical step toward the 2033 rebuilding project [2]. The logs moved during this event will eventually be used to construct the new shrine buildings, replacing the current structures as part of the 20-year cycle [1, 5].

“About 3,000 citizens of Ise City participated in the inaugural Oki-hiki ceremony”

The Oki-hiki ceremony demonstrates the immense scale and long-term planning required for the Shikinen Sengu. By starting the timber transport in 2026 for a 2033 deadline, Ise Jingu adheres to a rigid traditional timeline that prioritizes ritual purity and community involvement over modern construction speed.