Ise City (Ise-Shi)

The Ise Grand Shrines-- Tied historically to the imperial family and considered the most venerable Shinto shrines in the nation, the Ise Grand Shrines (Ise Jingu) consist of the Outer Shrine and the Inner Shrine, plus more than 100 minor shrines spread through a dense forest of Japanese cypress. Since the Outer and Inner shrines are about 6.4km (4 miles) apart, your best bet is to first visit the Outer Shrine, which is a 5-minute walk from Ise-Shi Station, and then take a bus to the Inner Shrine. In addition to the CAN-Bus, local bus nos. 51 and 55 run between the two shrines every 10 to 15 minutes and cost ¥410 ($3.40) one-way. Because of the distance between the shrines and their large grounds, plan on spending at least 2 hours exploring Ise. If you have luggage but the biggest lockers are already taken, you can leave your bags at the left-luggage counter (look for the sign that says CLOAK ROOM) at Ise-Shi Station, open daily. Ise-Shi and Ujiyamada stations are a 7-minute walk apart.

The Outer Shrine (Geku) was founded in 477 and is dedicated to the Shinto goddess of harvest, agriculture, clothing, and housing. The Inner Shrine (Naiku) was founded a few centuries earlier and is dedicated to Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Both are among the few Shinto shrines in Japan without any Chinese Buddhist influences. Constructed of plain cypress wood with thick thatched roofs in the oldest style of architecture in Japan, they're starkly simple and have no ornamentation except for gold and copper facing on their beams and doors. In fact, if you've come all the way to Shima Peninsula just to see the shrines, you may be disappointed -- there's nothing much to see. The shrines are so sacred that no one is allowed near them except members of the imperial family and high-ranking Shinto priests. Both shrines are surrounded by four wooden fences, and lesser mortals are allowed only as far as the third gate.

The fences don't allow you to see much, but that doesn't stop the estimated six million Japanese who come here annually. They come because of what the shrines represent, which is an embodiment of Japanese Shinto itself. The Inner Shrine is by far the more important because it's dedicated to the sun goddess, considered to be the legendary ancestress of the imperial family. It contains the Sacred Mirror (Yata-no-Kagami), one of the Three Sacred Treasures of the emperor.

According to legend, the sun goddess sent her grandson to Japan so that he and his descendants could rule over the country. Before he left, she gave him three insignia -- a mirror, a sword, and a set of jewels. As she handed him the mirror, she is said to have remarked, "When you look upon this mirror, let it be as if you look upon me." The mirror, therefore, is said to embody the sun goddess herself and is regarded as the most sacred object in the Shinto religion. It's kept in the deep recesses of the Inner Shrine in a special casket and is never shown to the public. (The sword is in the Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, and the jewels are in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.)

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Outer and Inner shrines is that, even though they were founded centuries ago, the buildings themselves have never been more than 20 years old -- every 20 years they're completely torn down and rebuilt exactly as they were on neighboring sites. The present buildings were built in 1993 for the 61st time. No photos of the shrines are allowed.

Even though you can't see much of the shrines, they're still the most important stops in Ise-Shima. The Inner Shrine is approached by crossing the elegant Uji Bridge of the Isuzu River, passing through a manicured garden, and then entering a dark forest of 800-year-old cypress trees. Watch how the Japanese stop after crossing the second small bridge on the approach to the shrine to wash and purify their hands and mouths with water from the Isuzu River. Its source lies on the Inner Shrine, and it's considered sacred. You may also see a couple of royal horses, one white and one brown, kept in stables near the shrine for the use of the sun goddess.

Ise's Historic Districts -- After visiting the Inner Shrine (a 45-min. walk round-trip), turn right after recrossing Uji Bridge for the nearby historic district of Oharai-machi, whose main street is lined with beautiful wooden buildings and kura (storehouses), some dating from the Edo Period and others newly constructed but faithful to traditional architecture. It once served as the main pilgrimage road leading to the Grand Shrines of Ise. During the Edo Period, when travel was strictly controlled, joining a mass pilgrimage to Ise was for many Japanese a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to venture beyond their homes; they took full advantage of it here. Today it's an interesting area for a stroll, shopping, or a meal.

About halfway down is Okage-yokocho, a re-created Meiji Era village with teahouses, restaurants, and shops selling Japanese candies, traditional toys, folk crafts, and candles. If you have time, stop by the Okageza (tel. 0596/23-8838; open daily 10am-5pm), a museum housed in an authentic Edo-Era building that captures the spirit of Oharai-machi during the Edo Period; dioramas of half-scale models and street scenes vividly convey what life was like for both the residents and the pilgrims passing through. It's the next best thing to a time machine. Admission is ¥600 ($5) for adults and ¥300 ($2.50) for children; English earphones are included in the price. You'll spend about 15 minutes here.

Across from Okage-yokocho is Akafuku (tel. 0596/22-2154; open daily 5am-5pm), the original makers (opened in 1707) of the sticky rice cakes for which Ise-Shima is famous. You'll recognize the shop by the kamado (huge, red, ginger jar-shaped ceramic cooking stoves) used to heat water for tea in the open entranceway. It has been a tradition to serve complimentary tea to shrinegoers for centuries, and this shop, built in 1887, still does. You pay only for the cakes -- ¥230 ($1.90) for three cakes with tea. First pay at the old cash register on the dark-wood counter; the staff, in traditional dark-blue outfits, will then serve you on tatami mats around braziers or on benches in the back overlooking the river. You can watch cakes being made and, May through August, you can also watch swallows fly in and out to their nests in the eaves.

Off the beaten tourist track is Kawasaki, which served as Ise City's business district during the Edo Period, when boats traversing the Setagawa River delivered goods to storehouses along the river's banks. A grass-roots movement has restored four of these storehouses along with an Edo-Era house, grouped together in the Ise-Kawasaki Shonin-Kan, 2-25-32 Kawasaki (tel. 0596/22-4810; open Wed-Mon 9:30am-5pm), which you can tour for ¥300 ($2.50). Surrounding buildings have been turned into restaurants and shops selling crafts, food, antiques, and pottery. In a country where old neighborhoods are disappearing by the minute, the local people who have fought to preserve this historic district deserve medals. It's a 10-minute walk from Ujiyamada Station.