Ise-Shima
Japan · East Asia
A national park on Mie's Shima Peninsula, where Japan's most sacred shrine stands near the pearl rafts of Ago Bay and a hot-spring Aman.
Why visit
Why visit Ise-Shima
Go for the combination of a living shrine and a working coast. Ise Jingu is rebuilt on a cycle that is more than 1,300 years old, and a short drive away the ama still dive for shellfish and seaweed on one breath. In a single day the region lets you see ritual, craft and food that all come from the same sea.
The Ise-Shima guide links the shrine, the pearls and the hot-spring stay.
Explore
What to see
Officially called Jingu, Ise Jingu comprises 125 shrines centred on the Naiku, dedicated to the sun deity Amaterasu-Omikami, and the Geku, dedicated to Toyo’uke-no-Omikami, deity of food, clothing and shelter. The two main shrines are about six kilometres apart. By legend the complex was founded about 2,000 years ago by Yamatohime-no-Mikoto, daughter of Emperor Suinin. Every 20 years the Naiku, Geku and 14 affiliated shrines are rebuilt beside the old ones in new cypress; the tradition dates to 690, and the 62nd rebuilding took place in 2013. Visitors cross the Uji Bridge to reach the Naiku, and customarily visit the Geku first.
Oharai-machi, an 800-metre stone-paved street of old wooden restaurants and shops, lies near the Naiku. At Futamigaura, the Wedded Rocks of Meoto Iwa are two rocks joined by a thick rope.
Mikimoto Kokichi first succeeded in cultivating pearls in this region, and pearl rafts float in Ago Bay and off Shima. Visitors can meet the ama at ama huts, as in meeting the ama divers of Toba.
Hotels
Where to stay in Ise-Shima
The choice is a hot-spring resort on the bay or a night in the shrine town. Amanemu stands on a wooded hillside above Ago Bay. It opened in 2016 as Aman’s second property in Japan and its first resort built around hot springs. The architect Kerry Hill took the minka, the Japanese farmhouse, as his reference for low pavilions in dark-stained cedar, each looking over the bay and its pearl rafts.
Dining
Where to eat in Ise-Shima
Seafood is the region’s strength. Ise-ebi, the spiny-lobster-type crustacean that takes its name from the region, is a celebration dish, abalone is offered to the shrine deities, and other local seafood includes sea urchin, oysters and scallops. Bonito is dried over firewood at Daiozaki, and Matsusaka beef is produced nearby.
Experiences
Experiences in Ise-Shima
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Before you go
Practical information
Best time to visit
The region can be visited all year. Local festivals, such as the Shirongo Festival, centre on the ama’s abalone-catching competition. Confirm festival dates with the organisers.
Getting around
The Geku is about a five-minute walk from Iseshi Station, and the Naiku is about six kilometres from the Geku, a short bus or taxi ride. The rest of the coast, Ago Bay, Toba and Futami, is spread along the peninsula, so most visitors combine rail with taxis or a hired car. Check the operators for current services.
Practical notes
Visitors customarily visit the Geku before the Naiku. Shrine rules, ama demonstrations and festival dates change, so rely on official sources.
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