Visiting Ise Jingu in Ise (Mie): Outer Shrine First, Which Side to Walk, and How to Pray
Ise Jingu in Ise (Mie) is not one shrine but a group of 125, centered on two main sanctuaries: the Geku (Outer Shrine) and the Naiku (Inner Shrine). More than seven million people visit the two each year, according to the shrine. The shrine has a few customs of its own that you won't meet at most other shrines, such as visiting in a set order and walking on a different side at each sanctuary. This guide explains them, using Ise Jingu's own pages (checked October 2026).
This page may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
- Geku first, then Naiku: why, and how to get between them
- Hours by month (from 5:00 every day)
- Keep left at the Geku, keep right at the Naiku
- Bowing and clapping, and what to pray for
- Food, smoking, pets and lockers
Geku first, then Naiku
Ise Jingu says there is no strict rule, but visiting the Geku first and then the Naiku is a long-standing custom, and its access page asks visitors to do so. The Geku is about a 5-minute walk from Iseshi Station; the Naiku is about 10 minutes from the Geku by bus or taxi. Inside, the shrine estimates about 10 minutes from the Geku entrance (Hiyokebashi Bridge) to its main sanctuary, and about 20 minutes from the Naiku entrance (Uji Bridge) to the Naiku's main sanctuary.
Opening hours
You can visit from 5:00 every morning. Closing time depends on the month, the same at the Naiku, the Geku and the other main shrines, according to the shrine's visiting page:
| Months | Hours |
|---|---|
| January, February, March, April, September | 5:00 to 18:00 |
| From the start of May to the end of August | 5:00 to 19:00 |
| October, November, December | 5:00 to 17:00 |
Hours change over the New Year; the shrine posts the latest times on its site.
Which side to walk on
The shrine asks visitors to keep to the left at the Geku and keep to the right at the Naiku. Its first-visit guide says old records don't give a clear reason, but it is thought to show humility, walking along the outer side of the path toward the deity, and to match where the purification spots once were: on the right at the Naiku and on the left at the Geku.
Purifying, praying, and what to pray for
- Purify first. Rinse your hands (and mouth, from your cupped hand, never from the ladle) at the water basin. At the Naiku you can also rinse your hands in the Isuzu River at the old purification spot.
- Two bows, two claps, one bow, as in the diagram above. The shrine describes the bow as bending to 90 degrees with a flat back.
- Gratitude first. The shrine explains that the main sanctuaries are places for public prayers, and the old custom there is to offer thanks. Personal wishes are not forbidden; it suggests thanking first and then making a wish, or asking for a formal prayer at the Kaguraden hall (reception 8:00 to 15:30, no advance reservations).
- No fortune slips. Ise Jingu has never had omikuji. The shrine's explanation: a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Ise (Mie) could only be "great luck" anyway.
For the general difference between shrines and temples, see shrines vs temples and how to pray.
Food, smoking, pets and bags
- No eating or drinking on the approaches; drink water at the rest areas. No smoking inside the sacred grounds; use the smoking areas.
- Pets can't come in. Leave them at the guard post (eishi mihari-sho) at the entrance of the Geku or Naiku; large pets may not be accepted.
- Coin lockers are only at the Naiku, at the guard post by the entrance: 500, 400 or 300 yen by size.
- Wheelchairs for the gravel paths can be borrowed at the guard posts on the day. The Naiku's main sanctuary is up a flight of stone steps.
Planning photos? Read Ise Jingu's photo rules first. After the Naiku, most visitors walk on to Oharai-machi and Okage Yokocho.
Quick checklist
- Start at the Geku (walkable from Iseshi Station), then go on to the Naiku.
- Keep left at the Geku, keep right at the Naiku.
- Check the closing time for the month; it is earliest from October to December.
- Finish your snack before you cross the bridge into the grounds.
Last reviewed: October 4, 2026. Ise Jingu's 63rd Shikinen Sengu, the rebuilding of the shrines every 20 years, is under way from 2025 over more than eight years, and some paths may be closed for ceremonies. Please confirm on the official pages below.
