AP journalists are documenting the start of the 63rd cycle as demolition, ceremonial tree-felling, and log transport begin. All 125 shrine buildings and more than 1,500 garments and ritual objects will be recreated using inherited techniques, with 33 rites culminating in a 2033 transfer of the presiding deity. The effort is a roughly $390 million project expected to take about nine years and it employs master carpenters, woodcutters, builders, and artisans. Ise’s inner sanctuary venerates the sun goddess Amaterasu and the complex attracts about seven million pilgrims annually, with thousands gathering for rebuilding ceremonies. The process follows Shinto observances that include seeking permission from mountain deities, secret nighttime purification rites, and the use of cypress groves managed across generations.
