The pilgrimage to Ise, known as O-Ise Mairi, is considered one of the origins of tourism in Japan. At its peak during the Tenpo era of the Edo period, as many as five million pilgrims are said to have visited Ise each year. Assuming Japan’s population at the time was around 30 million, that means an astonishing one in six people made the pilgrimage to Ise.
What made it possible for as many as five million people to undertake the pilgrimage to Ise was the presence of the Onshi.
The Onshi were religious practitioners associated with Ise Jingu who traveled throughout Japan. From the Muromachi period onward, they accepted requests for prayers, distributed calendars, amulets, and souvenirs from Ise, encouraged donations of money and rice, and continuously promoted pilgrimages to Ise.
The Onshi were religious practitioners associated with Ise Jingu who traveled throughout Japan. From the Muromachi period onward, they accepted requests for prayers, distributed calendars, amulets, and souvenirs from Ise, encouraged donations of money and rice, and continuously promoted pilgrimages to Ise.
To provide hospitality to pilgrims, the Onshi are said to have cultivated their knowledge and refinement through practices such as the tea ceremony, monko (the appreciation of incense), and waka poetry. Here, we planned an experience that allows visitors to rediscover the culture of the Onshi firsthand.
Accommodation records preserved at the residence of the Onshi Maruoka Sotayu show that one ko pilgrimage group of 17 people spent five nights and six days in Ise alone. Their total expenses amounted to 60 ryo—equivalent to approximately 6 to 10 million yen today.
The group appears to have consisted of retired members of merchant families, but the sheer amount of money they spent on their journey is remarkable.
The Onshi served much like modern-day concierges, providing everything from guidance for the journey and local tours to arrangements for meals and accommodation, and even introductions to entertainment districts. As we consider the future of tourism, we believe that the presence of modern-day “Onshi”—people who provide a variety of cultural experiences—will be a key factor in making Sustainable Travel: KAIDO possible.
The Onshi served much like modern-day concierges, providing everything from guidance for the journey and local tours to arrangements for meals and accommodation, and even introductions to entertainment districts. As we consider the future of tourism, we believe that the presence of modern-day “Onshi”—people who provide a variety of cultural experiences—will be a key factor in making Sustainable Travel: KAIDO possible.
