Ise

Introduction

Ise, formerly called Ujiyamada, is a city in central Mie Prefecture on the island of Honshū, and it is defined by a single overwhelming fact: it is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shintō shrine in Japan. The city carries the long-standing title Shinto, which means "the Holy City" and literally "the Capital of the Kami" — a fitting name for a place whose identity revolves around pilgrimage and reverence.

Come here to understand that role rather than to rush through it; the shrine and the city's sacred character are the reason to visit, and everything else in Ise is secondary to them.

Before you go

Ise is built around Ise Shrine, and understanding a little of its rhythm will shape your visit. Tradition holds that the shrine was founded in 4 BC, though most historians place the first shrines several centuries later; by 690 AD the buildings are thought to have taken their current form, and they appear in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki annals of 712. The sacred objects of the royal family are kept within, including a covered mirror said not to have been looked into for over a thousand years. The shrines are dismantled and rebuilt to exacting specifications every 20 years, and the present buildings, the 62nd iteration, date from 2013 with the next rebuilding scheduled for 2033.

If your plans are flexible, time your trip around the ceremonies that precede a rebuilding. The most impressive is the Okihiki "tree-pulling" festival, in which lumber is ceremoniously carted to the shrine; the next is anticipated in 2026–2027. Before you set out, check the local tourist association's multilingual guide site for current details.

Getting there

Most travellers reach Ise by air through Chubu Centrair International Airport south of Nagoya. From the airport dock, high-speed ferries cross Ise Bay to Tsu in about 45 minutes, running hourly; a small number of these continue to Matsusaka, which sits slightly closer to Ise. From the port at Tsu, a local bus connects to Tsu train station, where you can pick up the Kintetsu Railway for the onward ride to Ise, though a transfer may be needed along the way. Alternatively, take the Meitetsu μ-SKY train from the airport into Nagoya and continue from there by train.

Ise's main station is Iseshi, served by both Japan Railways and the private Kintetsu Railway; Uji-Yamada, the next stop on the Kintetsu line, is also convenient. Kintetsu runs direct limited express services from Nagoya, Kyoto and Namba in Osaka, with some trains carrying a premium Deluxe Car and one service, the Shimakaze, fitted entirely with premium seating — both require a surcharge on top of your fare. The Kintetsu Rail Pass gives unlimited local trips on the network for five days and can be bought outside Japan before you travel; limited express rides need a separate ticket, which Kintetsu now sells in English on its website. An enhanced version, the Kintetsu Rail Pass Plus, adds unlimited trips on select local buses. JR runs hourly rapid services to Iseshi from Nagoya, and the quickest route from the Shinkansen is to change to that rapid train in Nagoya rather than looping around the Kii peninsula on other JR services. Japan Rail Pass holders pay a small surcharge because the journey partly uses the private Ise Railway; you can avoid it by taking the less-frequent Nanki limited express from Nagoya to Taki and changing to a local train, at the cost of a longer trip. Overnight buses also connect Tokyo with Ise: Willer Express leaves from the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal and from nearby Kawasaki, while Seibu and Mie Kotsu run two services, one from Ikebukuro and Shinjuku and another from Ikebukuro and Yokohama.

Getting around

Ise is compact enough that walking covers the heart of your visit. Iseshi Station, served by both JR and Kintetsu, is the usual base and is only about a five-minute walk from the Outer Shrine (Geku), whose approach is lined with restaurants and souvenir shops. Ujiyamada Station, one stop along on Kintetsu, is also walkable and worth a stop for its shops and lockers. For the Inner Shrine (Naiku) and the coastal areas, however, you will want the bus or train rather than your feet — a regular bus service runs between Ise Station and Naiku, and Isuzugawa Station on the Kintetsu line is the closest stop to the Inner Shrine. At Iseshi Station, JR and Kintetsu share a common ticket gate: use the JR exit (South Exit) for the Outer Shrine, and the Kintetsu exit on the north side if you are staying on that side.

If you plan to explore beyond the shrines, the CAN Bus day pass gives you unlimited travel around Ise, the Futami area and Toba, with one-day and two-day versions available and reduced prices for children. For rail travel around the Kintetsu network, the Kintetsu Rail Pass covers unlimited local trips for five days and can be bought in Japan or, at a slight discount, outside Japan before your trip; note that it does not cover the limited express, for which you buy a separate ticket, and Deluxe Car or Shimakaze seats carry a further surcharge. The Kintetsu Rail Pass Plus adds unlimited trips on select local buses, useful if you want to combine rail with bus sightseeing. Mie Kotsu maintains a multilingual website with further bus information. Taxis are conventionally available at the stations, but treat them as a fallback — the rail-and-bus network covers the stations, both shrines, Futami and Toba.

Where to stay

Most of your sleeping options cluster near the city's two main stations. Near Ise Station you'll find a traditional ryokan, while a few minutes' walk from Ise-shi Station there's a backpacker's hostel, renovated in 2018, whose friendly staff speak enough English to help with almost anything you need; dorm beds are available, with a surcharge in peak season. Between Futaminoura Station and Meotoiwa, a renovated wooden ryokan in the traditional style overlooks the sea.

• Hinode Ryokan – traditional-style ryokan near Ise Station; rates available without meals or with dinner and breakfast.
• Oishiya – renovated wooden ryokan between Futaminoura Station and Meotoiwa, overlooking the sea.
• Guest House Kazami – backpacker's hostel a few minutes' walk from Ise-shi Station, with English-speaking staff and dorm beds.

Food & drink

Ise is lobster country: the local specialty is Ise-ebi, the Japanese spiny lobster the city is named for. Fresh lobster sashimi is the high point, though this is a splurge rather than an everyday meal. A cheaper taste of local cooking is Ise udon, thick noodles served in a strongly flavoured sauce and topped with spring onion; the noodles are deliberately soft, made that way for tired pilgrims and quite unlike the chewy versions found elsewhere. Look for it at the restaurants around Naiku. For something sweet, try akafuku, a mochi rice cake wrapped in red bean jam, served with complimentary green tea at stalls around Naiku and sold boxed at Iseshi Station and Ujiyamada Station.

Around Naiku, Okunoya on the river side of Oharai Machi, a few minutes' walk from the Naiku bridge, serves quality Japanese-style food at reasonable prices. Near the Geku entrance, Kitaya is known for charcoal-grilled eel, while Misuzu, a two-minute walk from Miyamachi Station, is a small family-run spot famous locally for gyoza and also serving fried chicken, rice balls and oden. For a drink, 4th Club, a couple of blocks west of Ise Station, has a good selection and an affable English-speaking owner who draws a crowd of local expats.

What to see and do

Ise is built around the two sites of Ise Shrine, the Outer Shrine (Gekū) and the Inner Shrine (Naikū), which sit some distance apart and are linked by a sacred forest. At both, access to the inner sanctum is strictly limited: you will see little more than the thatched roofs of the central structures, screened behind tall wooden fences, with guards on hand to keep visitors in line. What you can enjoy is the ancient forest itself and the many wooden buildings along the approach. Gekū, dedicated to the goddess of food, clothing and housing, is the smaller of the two and a short walk from Ise Station, with snacks and souvenirs sold at a stand near the main gate. Naikū, dedicated to the sun goddess and the larger and more important site, has ponds of colourful carp and a nearby river where the less colourful ones swim.

• Kawasaki Kaiwai — the old merchants' quarter, where many old buildings remain; good for a stroll.
• Meoto Iwa — two offshore rocks tied together with a heavy Shinto rope, said to represent the creator gods of Shinto myth, the larger one topped with a small torii gate; reached on foot from JR Futaminoura Station, mostly along the shoreline.
• Ise Sea Paradise — a small aquarium near Meoto Iwa with seal and walrus shows, where you can touch and interact with the animals.
• Kagurasai Ceremony — held over three days in early April and late September, with dance, music, noh, shigin and flower arrangement in the garden at Naikū.
• Miya River Fireworks Festival — held in mid-July near JR Yamada Kamiguchi; a competition for fireworks producers, so expect original and unique displays.

Three days in Ise

Day one: Begin in Ise, the city at the heart of Shinto tradition, and make your way to Ise Grand Shrine, the reason most travellers come. Approach the shrine quietly and respectfully, as this is a place of worship rather than a sight to tick off. The shrine is linked in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki to a tradition reaching back to before BC, and the Okihiki timber ceremonies keep that continuity alive. Spend the rest of the day settling into Ujiyamada, the old name for the town that grew up around the shrine, and take your bearings in the streets between Uji and Yamada.

• Arrive via Chubu Centrair International Airport, then continue by Meitetsu or Kintetsu Railway; Iseshi is the convenient station for the shrine.
• Alternatively, reach Ise from Nagoya, Kyoto or Namba in Osaka by Kintetsu, or via Tsu and Matsusaka along the coast of Ise Bay.

Day two: Give the shrine a second, slower visit, since Ise Shrine rewards unhurried attention, and use the day to understand the Shinto setting rather than rushing between points. Walk the approach through the trees and let the atmosphere of the Holy City set your pace. Keep your conduct mindful: this is an active place of worship, not a monument.

Day three: Use your last day to explore Ujiyamada and the wider area of Mie Prefecture on foot, following the older streets that connect Uji and Yamada. If you are travelling onward, the Kintetsu Railway and Japan Railways links make it easy to continue toward Nagoya, Kyoto or Namba, or back to Chubu Centrair International Airport. Leave time to return to the shrine for a final quiet moment before you go.