-ᾱԲū's inner shrine is dedicated to the sun goddess, Amaterasu-Ōmikami, considered the ancestral goddess of the imperial family and guardian deity of the Japanese nation. ū is particularly revered because it houses the sacred mirror of the emperor, one of three imperial regalia – the other two are the sacred beads – at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, and the sacred sword, at ٲܳٲ-ᾱԲū in Nagoya).
At the entrance to the precincts you'll cross the bridge Uji-bashi over the crystal-clear river Isuzu-gawa. The path continues along an avenue lined with towering cryptomeria trees, under several torii, to the ҴDzō, the main shrine building (which is fenced off). Working your way back, pay a visit to some of the smaller shrines on the grounds, such as the Mishine-no-Mikura (where rice offered to the gods is stored), whose architecture resembles that of the off-limits main shrine.
