Area Characteristics
There are many famous tourist sites in Mie Prefecture including the World Heritage site of Kumano Kodo (Old Kumano Road), famed places of pilgrimage, and Ise Jingu Shrine which is popular with women as a current power spot. The prefecture is also known as the birthplace of ninja. The cities of Kyoto and Nara are also geographically close.
Major Sites
Ise Jingu Shrine is indeed the home of the ancestors of the Imperial family. It is so renowned that since the Edo Era, worshiping there has been called “the pilgrimage to Ise”, and the side streets to the path leading to the shrine and Oharai Town by the torii gate are also popular with tourists. There are many places worth seeing such as the World Heritage site of Kumano Kodo, Mt. Gozaisho, Suzuka Circuit famous for F1 racing, the Iga Ninja Museum and the Toba Aquarium.
Food
There is plenty of variety in the cuisine of Mie which ranges from Japan’s top brands such as Matsuzaka beef and traditional dishes including Ise udon and meharizushi to comfort food dishes such as Tsu gyoza dumplings and tonteki pork loin steak. When it comes to Mie souvenirs, there are many Japanese confections such as akafuku rice cakes, Heiji senbei rice crackers and Henba mochi.
Transportation
Heading to Nagoya from Tokyo Station via the Tokaido Shinkansen (Bullet Train) in approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes will provide overall access to all areas within Mie Prefecture. On the main Kintetsu line, you can reach places such as the Shiroko district where the Suzuka Circuit is located (40min), the closest stop of Ise City to Ise Jingu Shrine (1 hour 20min), Iga-Kanbe Station nearby Iga Ninja Museum (1 hour 20m), and Toba where the Toba Aquarium is located (1 hour 30min). Taking Japan Railways to Owase Station to access Kumano Kodo is most convenient. Renting a car to move around within the prefecture is ideal.
Accommodations
Concentrated along the east of Mie by Ise Bay, there are plenty of accommodations in Tsu which is a convenient tourist hub along with places like Shima, Toba, Ise and Suzuka.