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Final Fantasy Turned into a Religious Experience

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The Ise Grand Shrine is one of Japan's most important Shinto Shrines. This week, as the Emperor and Empress visit, the shrine is launching a new web animation with music from Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. The tune might sound familiar.

The composition closely resembles the Final Fantasy "Prelude"—if it's not, you know, simply that song. However, Uematsu isn't calling the song "Prelude" and is giving it another title: "Ise no Isuzu no Mori no Miya" (いせの いすずの もりのみや) or, loosely, "The Wooden Shrine of Ise's Isuzu."

shrinecrop

As Famitsu points out, Uematsu wrote online in 2012 that the shrine's chief priest was a fan of Final Fantasy's music. That might explain the tune—well, that, and its ethereal quality certainly seems to suit the video. However, I'm not sure if Square Enix is involved in this in any way, however—it doesn't look like it as, unless I'm missing something, both the website and the video are devoid of the typical Square Enix copyrights.

Former Square Enix art designer Hideo Minaba, who currently has his own freelance design studio, did the art direction for the Ise Grand Shrine animation.

The royal family is visiting the shrine because its wooden structures were recently rebuilt—as they are every twenty years.

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In case you missed it, here is some of the best Final Fantasy music.

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Ise Jingu [Official Site]

伊勢神宮×植松伸夫氏コラボ!? 伊勢神宮イントロダクションムービーに植松氏の音楽が! [Famitsu]

To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.

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