Ise Jingu - Geku

As far as I can tell, there is probably only one reason to visit Ise, and that would be to visit the two shrines - Naiku and Geku. This was our reason for being in Ise, and as soon as we had finished breakfast Monday morning we called for a taxi to take us to Geku, which is also known as the outer shrine.

This is the smaller of the two shrines, and is dedicated to the Goddess of Agriculture and Industry. According to the guidebook, this shrine dates from 478 AD. A steady stream of people were making their way toward one of the major shrines, where a few people at a time might be escorted into an inner courtyard, accompanied by a priest. Everyone else had a chance to to pray outside the courtyard fence.
In addition to the main shrine, there were various smaller shrines on the grounds. The largest shrines were hidden, except for the roof line, and off limits, but we were able to get a little closer to some of the smaller shrines on the grounds.
Kenny and I both walked the 98 steps to Taka-no-Miya.
The shrine at the top of these steps is dedicated to the goddess's aggressive spirit. I'll admit that something in me was drawn to this idea.
We stopped at the visitors center on the way out and drank some tea and watched a short film. On our way to the exit, we were escorted to the side of the path by a serious, but polite guard, only to find a dignitary in a tail coat and a Shinto priest participating in a ceremony at the shrine's main gate. We watched them proceed down the path toward the main shrine and then continued on our way to the bus. Who was this man, and why was he here? I wonder if I will ever know.
Across the street from what is known as the outer shrine, we waited for a city bus that would take us to Naiku, the inner shrine.
To be continued...