Shinoshima Island — Shinmei Jinja Shrine (Ise Shrine Timber Recipient)

According to tradition based on the Nihon Shoki, the goddess Yamato Hime-no-Mikoto stopped at Shinojima during her tour of Ise Bay and designated it an oniedo (a place to prepare food offerings for the deity). In Hōki 2 (771), three seats of the Tsuchino-miya were transferred from Ise Jingū to Shinojima and enshrined as Ise Tsuchino-miya (later renamed Shinmei Shrine). The practice of rebuilding in coordination with the Shikinen Sengū began in the same year; the tradition of receiving the old timber from the Naikū (Inner Shrine) of Ise Jingū every 20 years and sequentially rebuilding the island's shrines of Shinmei and Hachiko has continued for more than 1,250 years. The most recent cycle documented is the receipt of timber following the 2013 Shikinen Sengū and the completion of the Shinmei Shrine's main enshrinement ceremony (hon-senza sai) in October 2015. Shinojima Dentō Gijutsu Keishō Site 'Schedule of Observances', Wikipedia 'Shinmei Shrine (Minami-chita Town, Shinojima)').

The distinctiveness of Shinojima's Shinmei Shrine lies in a material and symbolic continuity by which the Ise Jingū's main sanctuary 'is reborn on Shinojima.' The East Treasure Hall of Ise Jingū Inner Shrine (transferred in the 1974 Sengū) and the West Treasure Hall (1995) were reborn as the shrine buildings of this island, and the belief has persisted that the architectural form of Ise — and its spiritual authority — crosses the sea and dwells on Shinojima. Though the treasure halls at Ise Jingū cannot be viewed from the outside, once they are transferred to Shinojima their appearance can be appreciated as a working shrine building by any worshipper. This character of a 'transplanted sacred precinct' has attracted scholarly attention in folklore studies as the most peripheral yet most tangible example of the Ise Jingū network's regional propagation. The onbe-dai (dried sea bream offering) remains the only offering from outside Ise — along with abalone from Kozaki-chō, Toba City — since the revision of the shrine system in Meiji 4 (1871). Wikipedia 'Shinojima'.

For the island's residents, the Shōgatsu Sairei (New Year Festival / Daimyo Procession) on January 3–4 is the most important religious observance of the year. The 'Owatari' — the 30-minute period during which the island's lights are extinguished as the male deity of Hachikō-sha 'crosses' to the female deity at Shinmei Shrine — continues to be observed unchanged today. The construction and rebuilding involved in the sengū is undertaken by master carpenters from Shinojima itself, and during the Omiki-hiki Matsuri (timber-pulling festival), the ridgepole-supporting posts are drawn around the island on a boat. The island community's self-governing architectural inheritance is highly regarded from the perspectives of both folklore studies and architectural history. Shinojima Dentō Gijutsu Keishō Site, Note article 'Shinojima Shinmei Shrine and Hachikō-sha' (August 2025).

January 3–4 (Shōgatsu Sairei / Daimyo Procession and Owatari rite) is the highlight. The Onbe-dai Hōnō-sai (October 12) is also a solemn occasion. Ordinary visits to Shinmei Shrine are possible year-round (access by high-speed ferry from Morozaki).

Shinmei Shrine is located 1–2 minutes' walk inland from the beach (Naiba), within the residential area of the island; the precinct is modest in scale. Note the quality of the timber and the joints in the shrine buildings, as the material was transferred from Ise Jingū. During the Daimyo Procession, shoot from a position outside the procession route as directed by organizers.

Access to the island requires taking the Meitetsu Kaikō Kankōsen high-speed ferry from Morozaki Port (approx. 10 min; first departure 06:25, last return 19:05) or the high-speed ferry from Kōwa Port (approx. 30 min). There is no car park on the island; use the car park at Morozaki Port (193 spaces, ¥100/hour) or Kōwa Port. Expect crowds during the New Year Festival. During the 'Owatari' rite, island lights are extinguished; visitors are requested to remain indoors (as directed by organizers).