January Luncheon Program

Shikinen Sengu –

The Ritual Re-building of Ise Jingu

Ise Jingu is one of the principal shrines of the Japanese people. Located in Mie prefecture, it has enshrined the female deities Amaterasu, the ancestral deity of the Imperial family for over 2000 years and Toyouke Omikami, the deity of agriculture and industry for around 1500 years.  It was said in the Edo Era that all Japanese desired the chance to worship there at least once in their lives.

One fascinating aspect of this shrine is Shikinen Sengu – the ritual re-building and transferring of the deities to a new site.

For the last 1300 years, every 20 years, the complete shrine has been re-built on a site adjacent to the current shrine. At the appointed time the deity is ceremonially moved to the new location. The move symbolizes the renewal and refreshing of the deities’ power as well as their abilities to hold onto and support the traditional aspects of Japanese culture.

As we in CWAJ begin our 60^th year, looking forward to the growth of new ideas in our beloved organization, yet desiring to hold onto the stability and traditions of our past, we felt that a look at this ancient and intriguing ritual would be a wonderful way to start the New Year.

We are privileged to have as our speaker, Mr. Katsuji Iwahashi, a 4^th generation Shinto priest from Wakayama. He currently works at Jinja Honcho, the headquarters of the Association of Shinto Shrines in Tokyo. As a former exchange student in America with a  Masters degree in Japanese Religion from the University of London, we feel he is uniquely equipped to guide us on our look into the ritual of Shikinen Sengu. Please come join us for this special day!

Luncheon Program Coordinators:                                                           Deirdre Merrell-Ikeda, Misa Yamada:  LuncheonProgram@cwaj.org

 

Luncheon  Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Social Gathering: 11:30 AM     Luncheon: 11:50 AM

at the new TAC in Takanawa

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Reservations must be received no later than 5pm,                      Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009

Please send reservation requests to:
Luncheonres@cwaj.org

          by Email.  Email reservations will be confirmed.                    

To make a reservation, please include:
NAME:  FAMILY, First  / GUEST(s):  FAMILY, First; (max 2)
MENU choice: Regular or Vegetarian

Cost: Members 3500 yen, Guests 4000 yen,  payable at the door

Cancellation Deadline:  9.00am Thursday, January 15th, 2009

Cancellations may be made by email: Luncheonres@cwaj.org, or by phone or fax to Luncheon Coordinator, Yasuyo Takamatsu (between 9am and 6pm).

NOTE: Late cancellations and "no-shows" will be charged the regular fee.

 

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