Spiritual Heart of Japan: Ise Grand Shrine, Meoto Iwa, and Toba
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Priest at Ise Outer Shrine (Geku) in Mie Prefecture
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Ise Jingu Outer Shrine (Geku) in Mie Prefecture
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Meoto Iwa Wedded Rocks in Futami Bay
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Street in Kawasaki Kaiwai, Ise City in Mie Prefecture
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Toba Mikimoto Pearl Island
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Toba City Park
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Ninja Samurai Kingdom Ise in Mie Prefecture
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Trip Intro
My trip to the most sacred place in Japan started with a train ride from Tokyo via Nagoya to Ise. There I visited the Ise Grand Shrine (Ise-jingu). The famous shrine complex exists for about 2000 years, and you could feel the spirituality in every corner. After one night in a ryokan, I took my time to explore the beautiful Ise City. From there, I went to the Ninja Kingdom Ise, a theme park about samurai. At the evening, I travelled to Futami Bay with the goal of seeing the famous Meoto Iwa, or the Wedded Rocks, a pair of sacred rocks connected by a rope. The sunset there was unforgettable. My last destination of this trip was the city of Toba, which is known for one of the largest aquariums in Japan.
Top Stays in Ise and Toba >
1Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture
The Ise Grand Shrine (Ise-jingu) is the most sacred place in Shinto religion in Japan. It is visited by approximately 7.5 million pilgrims and tourists every year. The whole complex consists of 125 buildings. The tradition (shikinen sengu) demands that 16 out of these 125 structures must be rebuilt every 20 years on adjacent sites. Ise-jingu is separated into two parts: the Inner Shrine (Naiku) and Outer Shrine (Geku). The most sacred priestesses there belong to the imperial family or their descendants. It is incredible to know that the Inner Shrine was founded 2000 years ago. You can easily spend a whole day here to explore the area surrounded by beautiful nature. Keep in mind that the distance between the Inner and Outer Shrine is 6 km. Find out more >
My tips for local activities
How about exploring the city Ise and the Ise Grand Shrine on a personalized tour with a local guide? For more details check out this page >.
Don’t miss these other famous Shrines in Japan:
2Ise City in Mie Prefecture
The foundation of Ise City is closely related to the Ise Grand Shrine (Ise-jingu). Two settlements nearby grew together to Ujiyamada village in 1889, and in 1955, Ujiyamada was renamed Ise City. The heart of the city is an absolute highlight. This traditional district is called Oharai-machi and has a length of more than a kilometer. It is lined with wooden houses from the Edo period (1603 – 1868) along the Isuzu River. This unique atmosphere brings you back in time when pilgrims on their way to Ise Jingu filled its streets with life. The city is also known for its amazing food and the traditional form of lacquerware called Ise Shunkei. My special recommendation is a 4-hour hike (up and down) to the top of the nearby Mount Asamagatake. The view from the top is breathtakingly beautiful. Find out more >
3Ninja Samurai Kingdom Ise in Mie Prefecture
Ninja Kingdom Ise, located on the Shima Peninsula, is a theme park about samurai, who ruled the country during the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 - 1603). The 1:1 replica of the Azuchi Castle was an absolute highlight. The museum inside the castle is dedicated to Oda Nobunaga (1534 - 1582), a very famous 16th-century daimyo. Ninja Kingdom Ise was constructed in the beginning of the 1990s. You can find here a sword gallery, ninja-related buildings, restaurants, and theater venues. I watched two stage shows there and had a lot of fun. Find out more >
4Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) & Futami City in Mie Prefecture
Meoto Iwa, or the Wedded Rocks, is a pair of sacred rocks in Futami Bay, near the Ise Grand Shrine, also known as Ise Jingu. They are connected by five large sacred shimenawa ropes made of rice straw. The ropes are replaced three times a year, in May, September, and December. More than 50 men are needed to carry out the replacement. The rocks represent the deities Izanagi, the husband, and Izanami, the wife. The ropes symbolize the marital bond between the two gods. Do not miss the nearby Futami Okitama Shrine, which is known for its many frog sculptures. In Japan, frogs are believed to bring good luck to people setting out on a pilgrimage. Find out more >
5Toba City in Mie Prefecture
Toba is a small city on the coastline of the Mie prefecture. There are many attractions worth a visit. The first one is the Toba Aquarium. It's one of the largest aquariums in Japan. It has more than 1200 species of marine life on display. The other one is the Mikimoto Pearl Island. Japanese entrepreneur Kokichi Mikimoto (1858 – 1954) made a miracle happen in 1893, when he had his breakthrough in culturing pearls for the first time. Check out the Pearl Museum, Pearl Plaza, and the Mikimoto Kokichi Memorial Hall to learn more about its unique history. Toba is also known for the famous Ama, which are about 500 female divers harvesting seasonal shellfish and seaweed in depths of up to 20 meters. Find out more >
My tips for local activities
How about exploring the fascinating Ama culture and the Ise Grand Shrine on a personalized tour with a local guide? For more details check out this page >
Location
Ise City, the starting point of this trip, is located in Mie Prefecture at the Futami Bay.
How to get to Ise City?
- 100min from Tokyo to Nagoya by JR Tokaido Shinkansen and
- 80min from Nagoya to Ise-shi Station by Kintetsu limited express train
