伊勢神宮式年遷宮『鎮地祭参拝記』
(At the Chinchisai of the Shikinen Sengū of Ise Jingu)

平成20年6月号掲載(Published in the June 2008 issue)

　この緊張感は何なのか……。夜来の雨も晴れ上がった4月25日、爽（さわ）やかな御光を受けた宇治橋を前に、いつもとは違う迫り来るようなものを背に強く感じていました。歩を進める中に思いましたことは、それは全国のお道づれの皆様が伊勢神宮式年遷宮ご奉賛につとめられる祈りの誠、奉仕の誠を一身に感じていたゆえであり、また、教祖神以来の有形無形にご神縁深いお伊勢様ではありますが、皇大神宮（こうたいじんぐう）（内宮（ないくう））の鎮地祭（ちんちさい）にお招きいただくのは本教にとって初めてのことであり、しかも長男の副教主と親子揃（そろ）ってという、教団史に残る時を迎えようとしている感動の所為（せい）でもあったと思われます。

What was this tension I felt…? On April 25, after the night’s rain had cleared, standing before the Uji Bridge (the entrance of Naikū 内宮 or the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu 伊勢神宮) bathed in refreshing divine light, I sensed something pressing upon me unlike usual. As I walked forward, I realized that it was because I was feeling, with my whole being, the sincerity of prayer and devotion offered by companions of the Way throughout the nation in their support of the Shikinen Sengū of Ise Jingu 伊勢神宮式年遷宮. Moreover, although Ise itself has long been deeply connected with us, both tangibly and intangibly, since the time of the Divine Founder, this was the very first occasion that Kurozumikyō had been invited to Chinchisai 鎮地祭 of Kōtaijingū 皇大神宮 (the Inner Shrine). And further, it was with my eldest son, the Assistant Chief Patriarch, together as parent and child. I believe that this was also the reason for the deep emotion I felt, as we were about to witness a moment that would remain in the history of our organization.

　鎮地祭というのは一般にいわれる地鎮（じちん）祭のことですが、目につく幕もこういう時は世の中では紅白のものですが、伊勢では黒白であるなど、伊勢神宮ならではの独特のものがあります。

Chinchisai is essentially what is generally called a jichinsai 地鎮祭 (ground‑purification ceremony). Yet, there are distinctive features unique to Ise Jingu—for example, while in ordinary practice the curtains are red and white, here they are black and white.

　200名ほどの参列者は5人1列に整列して、毎年新年の参宮の折、お道づれ方と共にお祓いを受ける「第一鳥居」の所で「修祓（しゅうばつ）」（神宮では「しゅはつ」と読む）を受けました。当初、後ろ姿で分からなかったのですが、有り難いことに私の目の前には伊勢神宮前大宮司北白川道久氏がいらっしゃり、背後には副教主という形で内宮の大御前に参進することとなりました。

About 200 participants lined up in rows of five and received shūbatsu 修祓 (purification, pronounced shuhatsu at Ise Jingu) at the “First Torii,” where, during the annual New Year pilgrimage, companions of the Way (Omichizure 御道づれ) also receive purification. At first I could not recognize from behind, but to my great gratitude, right before my eyes stood Rev. Kitashirakawa Michihisa, former High Priest of Ise Jingu. And behind me, in the role of Assistant Chief Patriarch, my eldest son joined the procession to the Great Sanctuary of the Inner Shrine.

　北白川氏の背中を見つめながら歩くうち、まるでそこが映画のスクリーンのようになって昔のことが蘇（よみがえ）ってきました。かつてこの項でも紹介したことがありますが（平成10年4月号）、昭和18年、私がまだ5歳余りのとき、当時宮家であられた北白川家で本教が吉備舞の「桜井の里」を奉納し、私は父“楠木正成（くすのきまさしげ）”から別れの懐剣をいただく息子“正行（まさつら）”役をつとめました。子供ながらに一生懸命だったからでしょうか、その晩は熱を出して寝てしまったことなど、その日のことが走馬灯のように浮かび続けました。

As I walked on, gazing at the back of Rev. Kitashirakawa, it was as if a movie screen appeared before me, and memories of the past came vividly back. I have mentioned this once before (April 1998 issue): in 1943, when I was just over five years old, Kurozumikyō offered the Kibimai 吉備舞 dance “Sakurai no Sato (The Village of Sakurai)” at the Kitashirakawa household, then still an imperial family. In that performance, I played the role of the son Masatsura, who receives a parting dagger from his father, Kusunoki Masashige. Perhaps because I strove so earnestly even as a child, that very night I came down with a fever and had to lie in bed. Scenes from that day continued to rise before me like revolving lantern images.

　内宮の御垣内（みかきうち）で一行を代表して、神社本庁統理の久邇邦昭元大宮司、トヨタ自動車名誉会長の豊田章一郎伊勢神宮崇敬会会長ら5名の方々が前に進まれ、後ろに整列した私たちはこの方たちに合わせて二礼二拍手一礼をもって正式参拝いたしました。それはまた、本教のいつもの参宮と全く同じでした。私は心中で大御神様の御開運を祈りおかげをいただきましたが、格別の思いでありました。

Within the sacred enclosure of the Inner Shrine, five representatives stepped forward: former High Priest of Ise Jingu and Director General of Jinja Honcho 神社本庁 (the Association of Shinto Shrines), Rev. Kuni Kuniaki; Honorary Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation and President of the Ise Jingu Association of Devotees, Mr. Toyoda Shōichirō; and three others. We, lined up behind them, followed their lead and offered formal worship with two bows, two claps, and one bow. This was exactly the same as the usual pilgrimage practice of Kurozumikyō. In my heart I prayed for the divine prosperity of Amaterasu Ōmikami and received blessings, yet with a particularly deep feeling.

　この御正殿（ごしょうでん）は前回の第61回御遷宮によって新しく設（しつら）えられたもので、東西に並列した2つの御敷地の東側にお鎮まりになっています。地元の人にかつて教えられたのですが、この東の御敷地を「米座」といい、西を「金座」といって、昔からそれぞれの20年間に新たな希望と願いをかけてきたということです。一行は、いわばこの米座から金座の「新宮御敷地」に移りました。

This Main Sanctuary was newly arranged at the previous 61st Shikinen Sengū, and Amaterasu Ōmikami is enshrined on the eastern side of the two parallel sacred sites. Local people once taught me that the eastern site is called the “Rice Seat” and the western the “Gold Seat,” and that for generations each twenty‑year cycle has been entrusted with new hopes and wishes. Our group, so to speak, moved from this Rice Seat to the “New Sanctuary Site” of the Gold Seat.

　お白石が敷きつめられた広大な御敷地の上座中央に「心御柱覆屋（しんのみはしらおおいや）」と呼ばれる、ここを中心に御正宮（ごしょうぐう）が新たに建てられる小さな建物があります。この前方の中央に黄幣（へい）、東北に青幣、東南に赤幣、西南に白幣そして西北に黒幣が風になびいています。ここが斎場です。その下手（しもて）に左右2つのテントが張られて胡床（こしょう）が置かれています。右のテントの最前列角に久邇統理が、そして左の最前列角に北白川前大宮司が着かれ、あろうことかその直（す）ぐ後ろに私は着席することになりました。

In the vast sacred site, covered with pure white stones, there stood at the upper central position a small structure called the Shin no Mihashira Ooiya 心御柱覆屋 (Protective Shelter of the Central Sacred Pillar). This marks the center where the new Main Sanctuary will be built. In front, at the center, a yellow hei banner fluttered in the wind; to the northeast, a blue one; to the southeast, a red one; to the southwest, a white one; and to the northwest, a black one. This was the consecrated ritual ground.
Below it, two tents were set up to the left and right, with koshō (folding stools) placed inside. At the front corner of the right tent sat Director General Kuni Kuniaki, and at the front corner of the left tent sat former High Priest Kitashirakawa. To my astonishment, I was seated immediately behind him.

　天を突くような杉の大木の深緑に寄り添って、御光を得て燃えるような黄金色の若芽の木々を背にした斎場に向かって、鷹司尚武大宮司をはじめ40名近い神職の方々が白絹の装束に身を正して参進されました。この斎員方の中に1人、濃い緑の「あこめ」という装束に身を包んだ10歳ばかりの「物忌（ものいみ）」といわれる役の女の子が、大人（おとな）と同じように木沓（きぐつ）を引きずるようにして懸命に上がってきました。実は、この童女がきょうのいわば主役でした。全員がお白石の上に敷かれたござの上に正座し終わりますと、しもと案と呼ばれる皮が付いたままの椎（しい）の木の枝で作られた案（御供え物を載せる台）の上に海幸山幸（うみさちやまさち）がそのまま供えられる献饌（けんせん）がなされました。そしてこれまた、神宮独特の「八度拝」と称される、立っては座って平伏し、また立って平伏を繰り返して9度拍手を打つ御拝でもって、鎮地祭は始まりました。いよいよ祝詞（のりと）奏上です。それも大宮司でなく、その係の方によるまるで声なき声での奏上の祝詞です。有り難くも不思議なことに、その間だけ風が止（や）み、木々の葉音も消えて全く音のない世界となりました。清らかな御陽光のもとで厳粛なときが過ぎていきました。

Against the deep green of towering cedar trees that seemed to pierce the heavens, and backed by the golden young leaves glowing in divine light, the ritual ground awaited. Toward it advanced nearly forty Shinto priests, led by High Priest Takatsukasa Naotake, all clad in pure white silk vestments. Among them was one striking figure: a girl of about ten years, dressed in dark green akome robes, serving in the role called monoimi. With great effort, she dragged her wooden clogs just as the adults did, climbing forward with determination. In truth, this young girl was the central figure of the day.
Once all had seated themselves formally upon mats spread over the white stones, the offering (kensen) was made: gifts of the sea and mountains placed directly upon a stand called shimoto-an, fashioned from branches of chinquapin with the bark still attached. Then followed the unique Ise Jingu rite known as Hachido-hai (Eight Bows)—standing and kneeling in prostration, rising and bowing again, repeated, with nine claps in total. Thus Chinchisai began.
Next came the recitation of the norito 祝詞 (ritual prayer). Remarkably, it was not intoned by the High Priest, but by the designated officiant, in a voice so faint it seemed like a voiceless voice. Strangely and wondrously, during that moment the wind ceased, the rustling of leaves vanished, and the world became utterly silent. Beneath the pure sunlight, a solemn time passed.

　前に立たれた北白川前大宮司の着席に従って、私も頭を上げて席に着きました。続いて献饌物はもとより 案も下げる撤饌（てっせん）の儀です。ここのところも一般の地鎮祭とは異なっていて、いわば祭典はこれをもって終わり、これからまさに地鎮（とこしず）めの儀となりました。

Following the seating of former High Priest Kitashirakawa, I too raised my head and took my seat. Then came the rite of tessen (removal of offerings), in which not only the offerings but even the stands themselves were removed. This, unlike ordinary ground‑purification ceremonies, marked the conclusion of the festival portion and the beginning of the actual rite of tokoshizume 地鎮 (pacifying the earth).

　物忌といわれる童女とお付きの神官（実はこの娘さんの父親）が中央の黄幣のところにあって、まず童女が忌鎌（いみがま）を恭（うやうや）しく頭上に捧（ささ）げて平伏、続いて青、赤、白、黒の幣の下で同じようにしていわゆる「草刈りの儀」をつとめました。次に忌鍬（いみくわ）でもって先の5カ所で捧げ伏し拝むとともに、お付きの神官がそれぞれの場で3度打ち下ろして「穿（うが）ちはじめの儀」をつとめられました。終わって2人は「覆屋」の裏へ廻（まわ）り地中に忌物（いみもの）を埋める儀式を行い、その後斎員一同が揃って一礼して退下、参列者一行も二礼二拍手一礼でもって鎮地祭のすべてを終了しました。

At the central yellow banner stood the young girl serving as monoimi, together with her attendant priest—who was in fact her father. First, the girl reverently lifted the sacred sickle (imigama) above her head and bowed in prostration. She then performed the same act beneath the blue, red, white, and black banners, enacting the so‑called “Grass‑Cutting Rite.” Next, with the sacred hoe (imikuwa), she offered and bowed at each of the five places, while her attendant priest struck the ground three times at each, performing the “Beginning of Excavation Rite.”
When this was finished, the two went behind the shelter (Ooiya) and carried out the rite of burying the sacred implements (imimono) in the earth. Afterward, all the officiants together bowed and withdrew, and the assembly of participants concluded the entire Chinchisai with the formal worship of two bows, two claps, and one bow.

　この間、約1時間、極めて長いようでもあり、またあっという間の、まことに妙（たえ）なるひとときでありました。

The ceremony lasted about one hour—seeming at once very long, yet also passing in an instant. It was truly a wondrous moment.

　平成25年の御遷宮に向かって、人々の祈りと誠がひたひたとお伊勢様に寄せ来るのに感じ入りながら帰路に就きました。

On the way home, I was deeply moved, sensing how people’s prayers and sincerity were steadily gathering toward Ise Jingu in anticipation of the Shikinen Sengū of 2013 (Heisei 25).