Traces the history of the Ise shrines from the 7th century until today, focusing on the many episodes of crisis that transformed the social landscape around the shrines.

The Ise shrine complex is among Japan’s most enduring national symbols, and A Social History of the Ise Shrines: Divine Capital is the first book to trace the history of the shrines from their beginnings in the seventh century until the present day. Ise enshrines the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, the imperial ancestress and the most prominent among kami deities, and has played a vital role in Japan’s social, political and religious history. The most popular pilgrims’ attraction in the land from the sixteenth century onwards, in 2013 the Ise complex once again captured the nation’s attention as it underwent its periodic rebuilding, performed once every twenty years. Mark Teeuwen and John Breen demonstrate that the Ise Shrines underwent drastic re-inventions as a result of on-going contestation between different groups of people in different historical periods. They focus on the agents responsible for these re-inventions, the nature of the economic, political and ideological measures they took, and the specific techniques they deployed to ensure that Ise survived one crisis after another in the course of its long history. This book questions major assumptions about Ise, notably the idea that Ise has always been defined by its imperial connections, and that it has always been a site of Shinto. Written by leading authorities in the field of Shinto studies, this is the essential history of Japan’s most significant sacred site.

"Teeuwen and Breen present the narrative strata that make up Ise’s historical identity and recount a dynamic history in which the Ise shrines have been transformed many times over the centuries. The result of their thorough research is a fascinating and eye-opening book, an excellent resource for both researchers and teachers in the field of Japanese religions." - Reading Religion

"Offers a rich, multifaceted account and analysis of the Ise Shrines." - Monumenta Nipponica

"A welcome contribution to the English-language scholarship on this important site in Japan’s religious, political, and cultural imagination ... The authors efficiently synthesize voluminous information and trace complex relationships between different actors by adhering to three analytical strategies, an approach that allows the volume’s narrative to flow relatively seamlessly." - Journal of Religion in Japan

"This book is ... highly recommended to students of Japanese religious history." - Religious Studies Review