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The Grand Shrine of Ise, known to the Japanese as Jingu,
comprise the Inner Shrine (Naigu), the Outer Shrine (Gegu),
and another 125 smaller shrines in Mie, which together form
the largest group of shrines in Japan. Traditionally people
visit the Outer Shrine before proceeding to the Inner Shrine.
The most revered of all Shinto shrines, the Naiku, enshrines
Amaterasu Omikami, the Goddess of the Sun and highest among
Japan's many deities. Large numbers of pilgrims come to
Ise to offer thanks for their blessings and to pay homage
to the tutelary goddess of the Japanese people. The grounds
are thickly wooded, and visitors are deeply moved by the
somber ancient atmosphere.
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