Philosophers Series · Part 11 of 12
Shinto: A Sanctuary Rebuilt for 1,300 Years
In Japan there is a sanctuary that is at once very old and very young. It shows a way of remaining that hardly anyone in the West knows. Part 11 of our Philosophers Series.
Kami and ancestors
Shinto is Japan’s indigenous religion. It has no fixed dogmas and no holy book in the Western sense. At its centre are the kami: deities and spirits that dwell in mountains, trees, rivers and places – and also the spirits of ancestors. In many Japanese families, ancestors are still honoured today, often in a blend of Shinto and Buddhist customs.
The Ise Grand Shrine
Shinto’s most important sanctuary is the Ise Grand Shrine. Every 20 years, its main buildings are completely rebuilt on an adjacent plot, with the same techniques and in the same form. Afterwards, the old building is dismantled. This tradition, called “Shikinen Sengu”, dates back to the late 7th century. It took place for the 62nd time in 2013; the next rebuilding is planned for 2033.
What actually remains
The shrine’s wood is never older than 20 years. And yet it is one of Japan’s oldest sanctuaries. What endures is not the material, but the form – and the knowledge of how to create it.
Because the rebuilding happens every 20 years, a craftsman experiences it several times in a lifetime: first as a learner, later as an experienced hand, and finally as the one who passes on his knowledge. In this way, the craft is kept alive across generations instead of gathering dust in books.
The logical conclusion
The Ise Grand Shrine teaches a way of remaining through renewal. A monument that is built once and then left to itself decays. What is renewed regularly stays alive.
For what remains of you, this means: it doesn’t have to be a single, perfect document at the end. It’s better to answer the same big questions anew every few years. The answers change, but the form remains. And whoever involves the next generation early passes on not just content, but the habit of reflecting on oneself.
Three questions to think further
- Which question would you like to answer anew every few years?
- What have you learned from an older generation simply by watching them?
- Which tradition in your family should be carried on?