My "Special Forces" Day Trip to Ise & Toba, Mie Prefecture! 🇯🇵⛩️

#summervacay I just had an intense but amazing "special forces" itinerary in Ise and Toba, starting before dawn! 1. Futami Okitama Shrine (Meoto Iwa - Wedded Rocks) My day started at Futami Okitama Shrine, home of the famous Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks). It was just a 5-minute drive from my Ise hotel. (If you're coming from the city during the day, you can take the JR from Ise Station to Futaminoura, then walk 15 minutes.) The best time to visit and capture that iconic shot is at sunrise (around 5:30-6:00 AM), when the sun can be seen rising between the rocks. You'll need to check the local tide tables for the best view. They also have a special Shimenawa (sacred rope) changing ceremony in the summer. 2. Ise Grand Shrine - Geku (Toyouke-daijingu) Next, I drove about 12 minutes to Ise Grand Shrine's Geku (Outer Shrine). (After 9:20 AM, you can take a bus from Futaminoura back to Ise JR Station and walk 5 minutes.) Geku is dedicated to the goddess of food. The century-old cedar trees lining the path are incredibly impressive! I highly recommend arriving early, around 7:30-8:00 AM, to experience the serene morning atmosphere. This is also the best place to buy a Goshuin-cho (stamp book), as they have the widest selection of designs here. 3. Ise Grand Shrine - Naiku (Kōtai Jingū) From Geku, I took a bus to the Naiku-mae stop for Ise Grand Shrine's Naiku (Inner Shrine). Photography is prohibited in the main sanctuary, but you can truly feel the 2,000-year-old sacred aura of the place. It's incredibly powerful. 4. Lunch Near the Shrine For lunch, we ate at Matsuya Honten Akabuku Yokochoten, a specialty shop famous for Matsusaka beef. We even tried their limited A5-grade sukiyaki set – delicious! Mid-meal, I heard some kind of shrine ceremony happening outside, so I rushed out to see. About 30 people, looking like a procession of Abe no Seimei (famous historical occultists), marched past in a grand procession. It was an unexpected and very cool sight! #ise #toba #mieprefecture #japantravel #futamiokitamashrine #meotoiwa