Ise and Futami (Ise City, Mie Pref.)

Fondly referred to by Japanese people as "O-Ise-san," the Ise Grand Shrine is in fact a complex of 125 different shrines. Once every twenty years, new shrine buildings are built (with the next ceremony for this purpose to be held in 2013), and this has been continued for about 1,300 years.

It is recommended that visitors to Ise arrive early in the morning. Strolling down the gravel path on the approach to the shrine while enshrouded in the morning mist, if you stop, and take a deep breath, you can almost hear the shrine breathing, a solemn experience indeed. (The photograph shows a sunrise at the shrine grounds)

It took 7 years to build this tourist spot.

Come here after you visit the shrine itself! You will find an extensive array of dishes and you can take a nice break while viewing the bustling street scenes. You will find shops all the way back to the end of the narrow Seko streets (the local people call the Ise area Seko because it is short of space), so please take the time to explore the area.

The large crag on the left in the photograph is the male (husband) and the smaller one on the right is the female (wife). The two crags are tied together with a large rope. At the summer solstice in June, the sun rises between the two crags, providing a splendid view.

The moon rise is especially beautiful from October through December, providing a mysterious nightscape quite different from the daytime scenery. (The photograph shown here depicts the moonrise at the full moon.)