Ise is not really on anyone’s radar when visiting the country of Japan. Ise is isolated and does take some effort and planning to get to. With all of the other beautiful towns throughout Japan, why should visitors go to Ise? Simple, Ise is home to the most sacred Shinto Shrines in all of Japan. The Ise Grand Shrine consists of two shrines Geku and Naiku. The shrines are separated and each surrounded by ancient forests with towering cypress trees. But the Ise Grand Shrine isn’t the only attraction in Ise that is worth exploring. Ise is home to a historic town with beautiful streets, the famed Wedded Rocks of Ise, great restaurants, and possibly one of the best breweries in Japan. This post is your guide on the best things to do in Ise, Japan. ⛩🗾🇯🇵
Ise is in Mie Prefecture and is adjacent from Nagoya across Ise Bay. There are ferries that cross Ise Bay from Nagoya. There is also a train that makes stops in Ise.
If driving to Ise, it’s about a 3 hours car ride from Osaka, 2 hour drive from Nagoya, or 2.5 hours from Kyoto Station.
Things to do in Ise
When visiting Ise, the Ise Grand Shrine should be priority. After all, this is the main and only reason most people visit Ise. The Grand Shrine is a spectacular site to see and is one of the most sacred and spiritual sites in all of Japan. That being said, there is so much more to do and see in Ise.
It is recommended to stay at least a full day in Ise, if not two. There are great accommodations here including many ryokans which are traditional style hotels. There are also a lot of day trips from Ise that are recommended.
Whether you want to spend the majority of your time at the Grand Shrine or just kick back and drink beers and eat oysters, here are my most recommended things to do and see in Ise.
Visit Ise Grand Shrine
Ise Jingu or the Ise Grand Shrine is a Shinto Shrine in Japan and is regarded as the holiest and most sacred of all shrines. Ise Grand Shrine consists of two main shrines, Geku and Naiku. Between the two shrines there are 125 Shinto shrines scattered throughout the area.
Naiku is considered the inner shrine and is dedicated to Amaterasu. Amaterasu is a deity and goddess of the sun. Geku is the outer shrine and is dedicated to Toyouke-no-Omikami, the goddess of agriculture.
The shrines are about 6 kilometers apart. For the adventure traveler, 6 kilometers can easily be walked. But for those that just want to see both shrines, it’s easy to navigate by vehicle and each shrine has a large parking lot.
Both Geku and Naiku are located in beautiful parks with towering cypress trees throughout. The cypress trees are quite impressive. The shrines within the complexes are made of wood from the cypress trees in the area. To me, the shrines look very Viking-esque with their thatched roofs and wooden structures. Like many temples and historical structures in Japan, nails are not used in the construction of the shrines, instead a technique is used to join the wood.
Because the Ise Grand Shrine is Japan’s most sacred shrine, most of the shrines are surrounded by wooden walls. Visitors can’t really see past the walls. Absolutely no photographs are allowed either, there are signs everywhere, so follow the rules, be respectful, and just enjoy the atmosphere and nature.
Prior to the entrance of Naiku is the Uji Bridge. The Uji Bridge is a long 100m bridge that crosses the Isuzu River. There are great photo opportunities on the bridge but it tends to get crowded.
Stroll Oharai Machi and Okage Yokochou
Besides visiting the Ise Grand Shrine, walking around Oharai Machi and Okage Yokochou was my favorite site in Ise.
Okage Yokochou is a street leading up to Naiku. This street is full of interesting shops and tons of great looking restaurants. Oharai Machi is apparently a newer addition to Okage Yokochou and offers even more souvenir shops and restaurants. There is a lot of delicious street food in this area that is highly recommended.
Oharai Machi has a lot of cat sculptures and cat themed souvenir shops. So for those like Jill that can’t get enough of cats, there is plenty of fun finds to explore.
Restaurant wise, visitors can find everything on Oharai Machi and Okage Yokochou from high end restaurants to food stalls. There is even a fancy Starbucks here for those that can’t go a day without their expensive Starbucks coffee.
Enjoy Beer and Oysters at Ise Kadoya Brewery
I’ve been a fan of Ise Kadoya Brewery, even before this trip. Their beers are probably some of my favorites in Japan. Their beers are simple, yet perfect. I especially enjoy their Hazy IPA, it reminds me of a lot of the good ones I’ve had in the United States. The Hazy IPA has a nice citrus flavor with a refreshing taste.
Not only is the beer at Ise Kadoya top notch, their brewery is well worth a visit. The brewery is located inside a traditional Japanese building.
As if the atmosphere and beer wasn’t enough, Ise Kadoya is known for their fresh oysters. When sitting inside the restaurant, you can order set meals. The meals vary but had one thing in common, oysters! I ordered a set meal that had two raw oysters and a few fried oysters and it paired nicely with my flight of beer.
Meoto Iwa the Wedded Rocks of Ise
Meoto Iwa, aka the Wedded Rocks of Ise aka the Husband and Wife Rocks is a pair of large rocks by the coast with a small torii gate on top of one of the rocks. The rocks are connected together with a large Shinto shimenawa. A shimenawa is a rope at Shinto shrines that are hung up to purify. They are usually made of straw or hemp. The shimenawa at Meoto Iwa weighs over a ton.
We drove to Meoto Iwa from the Ise Grand Shrine, as it is located right along the coast. There was a decent sized parking lot here, but I could see this being jam packed during peak tourist seasons. There is a paved pathway that hugs the coast so visitors can get excellent views and photos of Meoto Iwa.
Find a Locally Owned Restaurant
Locally owned restaurants are not hard to find in Japan. In fact, there are more local restaurants then chains in Japan especially in the smaller towns.
I guess we were craving okonomiyaki, entered it in Google Maps, and お好み焼 A.C.B showed up as a result. We decided to check お好み焼 A.C.B out. By the way, I have no idea if お好み焼 A.C.B is the correct name but it shows up in Google as the correct restaurant we were at.
This okonomiyaki restaurant serves Osaka style okonomiyaki. Generally I prefer the Hiroshima style, but this was some of the best okonomiyaki I’ve had and by far the best Osaka style okonomiyaki I’ve had. The restaurant was tiny, maybe 3-4 tables and a max of 10 people could fit inside here. The restaurant was run by one elderly lady who was full of energy and so nice to talk to. She prepared and cooked the okonomiyaki on our table right in front of us. After it finished cooking, we couldn’t help but to dig in right away, both Jill and myself were blown away by how good her okonomiyaki was. The lady who ran the restaurant spent time talking to us and even gave us a few gifts before we headed out. This was the best Osaka style okonomiyaki I’ve had in Japan and the whole experience was one of the most memorable at お好み焼 A.C.B.
Stay at a Ryokan
A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese style inn. If staying in Japan, I highly recommend at least staying one night at a Ryokan for the experience. Typically, ryokan’s will have rooms that consist of tatami mats, comfortable futons, a chabudai (short table), and other traditional Japanese furniture and decorations. Many ryokans will have an onsen (hot spring) area and offer traditional Japanese meals.
We stayed at a Ryokan right by Iseshi Station called Hinode Ryokan. We booked this ryokan through Agoda. The experience here was wonderful. The location was within walking distance to the station, Ise Jingu Geku, and many shops and restaurants. Hinode Ryokan was as traditional as they come. The ryokan was huge with several floors and rooms. We got a private room that was the size of an apartment. The futons were very comfortable and the overall atmosphere of the room was traditional and very soothing. There were onsen areas down the hall for guests to use.
Our breakfast was served in a private room and consisted of fish, a salad, various fermented veggies, and miso soup. Although some of the veggies were hard to stomach early in the morning, the meal was quite delicious.
Mie Prefecture Pokémon Manhole Covers
Like many prefectures in Japan, there are fun Pokémon manhole covers scattered throughout Mie Prefecture. I use the Poke Lids website to search for the location of these fun manholes and try to see if any are within the city I visit or along the route taken to get there. Surprisingly, Mie Prefecture has 7 Pokémon manhole covers and we were able to visit 5 of them.
Oshawott is the sea otter like Pokémon found on the manhole covers throughout Mie Prefecture. Below are the Pokémon manhole covers we found throughout our trip in Mie Prefecture.
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Plan Your Trip: 🗺 ✈️ 🇯🇵
Booking Accommodations ⛺️ 🛖
For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com
Activities and Tours 🏖 🚁
Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.
In need of a car rental? 🚗 🚘
I recommend checking with Rental Cars.
Train Travel 🚂 🚊
For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass site.
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