The Naikū, dedicated to Amaterasu, and the Gekū, dedicated to Toyouke-hime, are built in shinmei-zukuri, a style the article calls extremely simple and ancient. The Naikū is built of Japanese cypress and joined with wood rather than nails. Its main building measures 36 by 18 feet (10.9 by 5.5 m), with a raised floor, verandas on all sides, no windows and a thatched reed roof.
The shrine buildings are rebuilt every 20 years on an adjacent site, alternating between two sites, in the ritual of Shikinen Sengū. The present buildings date from 2013 and are the 62nd iteration. The traditional establishment date is 4 BC.
The 328-foot (100 m) wooden Uji Bridge at the entrance to Naikū is also rebuilt every 20 years. Access is strictly limited. The public may not go beyond sight of the thatched roofs, hidden behind four tamagaki fences, and photography is prohibited at the gate of the inner sanctum.
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