It is the mirror that embodies the spirit of Amaterasu. Everything else is completely remade. The oddest thing is that nobody claims to know why they pour out resources in this great Kwakiutl gesture. And I know why they do it. The 20-year cycle gives us a clue.
Craftsmen enter the cycle of building twice.
The second time, they're the experts, training a new cadre and sustaining old beauty. Now the renewed shrine opens. Three thousand guests cleanse themselves in the sacred Isuzu River and join the ceremony of moving Amaterasu's mirror. And I know why they do this every 20 years. It's one thing merely to see such beauty.