Saiku: the palace of the princess who prayed for Japan

The story

From ancient times into the Middle Ages, each new emperor's reign brought a new Saio. Chosen by divination from the unmarried princesses, she left her family and travelled to Ise for five nights and six days with about 200 attendants. At the Harae River, the border of the shrine's sacred land, she purified herself one last time and entered Saiku, her palace about 15 km from Ise Jingu.

Life at Saiku was quiet yet elegant, like a small capital. The Saio went to Ise Jingu only three times a year for its great rites and spent the rest of her days in prayer. Love was forbidden, and the Tales of Ise tells of one night's meeting between a Saio and the poet Ariwara no Narihira.

What to see in Meiwa

• The Saiku site: the wide ground where the palace stood, cared for by locals as sacred land for centuries.Google Maps 斎宮跡 (opens in a new tab)Show map
• Oyodo coast: where the Saio is said to have purified herself in summer before the autumn rite, and the Narihira pine named after the poet.
• The Harae River: the last stop of the princess's journey.

Saiku makes an easy stop on the way to Ise Jingu. See the Mie prefecture guide and shrines and temples.