For over 1300 years, people had created the same things exactly the same way as before and dedicated those to the deities every 20 years.
And for that, people had managed to collect huge amounts of money, and it had taken many years to prepare.
It is the very Sengu of Ise Grand Shrine.
Why had Emperor Tenmu defined that Sengu of Ise Grand Shrine had been performed every 20 years?
Unfortunately, there had remained no record for this reason.
God only knows, literally.
In other word, we can only imagine as to the reason.
Of course there would have also been some sort of meaning for religious ritual as Shinto.
Among the estimated reasons, however, there had been some which it could be easy to understand.
For example, there had been the reason that that the storage life of grain dedicated on thank offering for abundant crops had been 20 years.
In ancient times, individuals had been banned from visiting to Ise Grand Shrine because of the position, “the shrine dedicated to the guardian goddess of imperial family”.
It had been impossible for the ordinary people to visit to Ise Grand Shrine which hadn’t set even wooden box for receiving money offerings.
Ise Grand Shrine had changed with the times, and come to be considered as “the shrine dedicated to the guardian goddess of all Japanese people”
And also some times, the Sengu of Ise Grand Shrine performed every 20 years had been forced to discontinue.
They had receipt the support from the power men and lost, and enjoyed the protection of state, and lost.
Every time the country had been devastated, Ise Grand Shrine had experienced a critical moment.
However, now those who have support Sengu of Ise Grand Shrine have been not all Japanese, because everyone can visit to Ise Grand Shrine freely.
There have been some wooden boxes for receiving money offerings properly.
Most recently, after Sengu had been performed without trouble in 2013, the number of the visitors to Ise Grand Shrine has been considerable.
In this regard, however, there might not many people who are “faithful Shinto believers” among the visitors.
There are also foreigners who come to Japan for sightseeing.
Many coins thrown into the wooden box for receiving would be a very small amount of money such as 1 yen and 5 yen.
Compared to those who have contributed a large amount of money every year, it might be only a marginal impact.
But all the visitors could become the supportive driving force for Sengu of Ise Grand Shrine.
Sengu have been supported by many people.
