Kongoshoji Temple is located near the summit of Mt. Asama in Mie Prefecture, and protects the northeast (= unlucky direction) of Ise Jingu Shrine. As sung in the famous Ise ondo (dance song): “If you visit Ise, you must visit Asama, if you don’t visit Asama, your pilgrimage is not completed.” The path to the inner sanctuary called OkunoIn is surrounded by a very unique graveyard with a large number of "sotobas" which are long wooden posts on which posthumous names of deceased people were written.
Travel back in time to old Japan! Strolling around Sekijuku
When you think of historical spots in Mie Prefecture, Ise Jingu Shrine is one place that comes to mind, but that’s not all. On this trip, we visited Sekijuku, a town that makes you feel as if you have traveled back in...
Get to know the essence of bonito flakes, an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine
Japanese food is attracting worldwide attention for its health benefits, and “dashi” is indispensable to its flavor. Dashi is usually made from dried kelp or dried bonito flakes. This time, we visited a long-establish...
Inabe Plum Grove: Spectacular Spring Scenery Rooted in Community
For many people, spring in Japan means only one thing: cherry blossoms. In Mie, however, there’s more to the season than just sakura, and stunning views of plum blossoms bursting with color can be seen throughout the ...
Suzuka Forest Garden, a magnificent world-class view in Mie
The magnificent views of the cherry blossom petals blowing in the spring breeze is what people will think of in Japan’s spring season. But in Mie Prefecture, there is a different herald of the arrival of spring. The b...
Japan is famous for its springtime cherry blossoms and Mie Prefecture is no exception. There are many cherry blossom viewing spots across the prefecture, but for those who want to go where those “in the know” enjoy th...
