Ise

Ise is a shrine town on the coast of Mie Prefecture, south of Nagoya, and it holds the most venerated site in Shinto. Ise Jingu, the Grand Shrine, is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, and its main sanctuaries are rebuilt from fresh cypress every twenty years.

Walk the gravel paths beneath giant trees between the outer Geku and the inner Naiku; the sanctuaries themselves stay veiled behind fences, which is part of the point. The Oharai-machi approach and its Okage Yokocho lanes serve Ise udon, thick noodles in dark sauce, and akafuku, the soft red bean sweet.

At Futami on the coast, the rope-bound Meoto Iwa wedded rocks stand just offshore, an easy add-on by local train. Ise pairs well with the pearl country of Toba and Ago Bay to the south. New Year and festival days bring the biggest crowds; ordinary mornings feel properly solemn.