Princess Aiko of Japan is making a two-day visit to Mie Prefecture to take part in the Ise Jingu Geku Okihiki Festival. On the morning of August 2, 2026, Princess Aiko visited the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu and paid her respects. Ise Jingu has a deep connection to the Imperial Family, and it is customary to visit the Inner Shrine, where Amaterasu Ōmikami is enshrined, after paying respects at the Outer Shrine.
This was Princess Aiko’s first visit in approximately two years. Guided by Shinto priests, she proceeded to the main sanctuary, where Amaterasu Ōmikami, regarded as the ancestor of the Imperial Family, is enshrined. She offered a tamagushi, a sacred offering consisting of a branch of the sacred sakaki tree.
On the afternoon of August 2, Princess Aiko participated in the traditional Okihiki Festival, held locally in preparation for the Shikinen Sengu, the ritual rebuilding of the shrine buildings at Ise Jingu in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. The traditional event involves transporting timber to Ise Jingu for the rebuilding that takes place once every 20 years.
The event has been held intermittently since May this year. The timber is transported on wooden carts known as hōeisha, while local residents wearing happi coats pull thick ropes and walk through the streets. On this occasion, Princess Aiko first watched from the riverbank as local residents unloaded timber from the Isuzu River near the Inner Shrine. She then joined the crowd and took hold of one of the ropes.
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