Day two of our trip. We left Matsusaka early in the morning and took the train towards Ise Grand Shrine. The shrine is a huge complex composed over 125 shrines centred around two main shrines, the Naiku and the Geku, or the inner and outer shrines. Many people actually make the trip out towards Ise just to pray at the shrine because it is one of Shinto’s holiest and most important sites.

We first toured the outer shrine and spent about an hour walking inside. It was a nice day to go out for a stroll and there were quite a few people on the grounds. There was also a lot of security on site, as I had gone to Ise just before the G7 Summit. I guess they were patrolling the area in preparations for it.

After we left the outer shrine, we had to take a bus towards the inner shrine. The entire complex covers a vast area and the two shrines are separated by a few kilometres. The inner shrine itself seemed very secretive. I guess it’s also the allure that draws people to Ise, because they don’t allow for any photos by the shrine and there is a mystery surrounding whether the sacred mirror, Yata no Kagami is actually kept there. Either way, it was a pleasant walk on the grounds and I would definitely recommend visiting the shrine at least once to see it.

Later that afternoon we spent some time exploring Oharai-machi, which is the town in front of the inner shrine. Many of the buildings have been recreated to resemble those from the Edo and Meiji Period. For lunch I had to try their famous Ise udon. After ordering our bowls, they were delivered to our seats in a cute wooden box. The noodles were just a touch too soft for my liking, but it was yummy nonetheless.

There wasn’t much left to do in Ise, so we headed back towards Nagoya after lunch. Midway through we decided to stop in Kuwana, where we then took the bus to go shopping at an outlet mall in Nagashima. It was my first time at an outlet mall in Japan, but they are exactly the same as the ones in North America. I think we spent about two hours inside but I didn’t end up buying anything. Lol

Overall I think Mie is a great side trip from Nagoya. Toba is very quaint and fun to visit, but Matsusaka is skippable in my opinion. Even if you’re only planning a day trip, I think Ise Shrine is definitely worth visiting. And if you can, make sure to take advantage of the Kintetsu Pass. =P