12 Sacred Groves & Mystical Forests Revered by Ancient Cultures

3. The Forests of Ise Jingū, Japan: Cradle of Imperial Divinity

Surrounding Japan's most sacred Shinto shrine, Ise Jingū, lie vast forests of ancient Japanese cypress (hinoki) and cryptomeria trees. These are not just buffer zones but integral parts of the sacred landscape, where kami (spirits) dwell. For centuries, timber from these forests, carefully managed and ritually harvested, has been used to cyclically rebuild the shrine buildings every 20 years in the Shikinen Sengu ceremony – an ingenious act of perpetual renewal symbolizing Shinto beliefs about nature, purity, and impermanence. The forests themselves are places of profound stillness and reverence.