Shinto priests attend the Ricchu-sai festival in the Naiku (Inner Shrine) at the Ise Grand Shrines in Mie Prefecuture on March 4, 2012. This ritual is part of the preparation for the Shikinen Sengu ceremony, held every 20 years for more than 1,300 years. The 62 nd Shikinen Sengu will be performed in autumn 2013.
( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )