Okage Yokocho Ancient Street

Okage Yokocho is a signature tourist destination of Ise-Shima, located in front of Ise Jingu Shrine in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. To access it, take a Mie Kotsu route bus from either Ujiyamada Station or Ise-shi Station and get off at "Jingu Kaikan-mae," then walk about five minutes. The term "Okage Mairi" refers to the mass pilgrimages to Ise Jingu in the Edo period, said to have involved as many as one-fifth of Japan’s population, and Okage Yokocho takes its name from this tradition. Because Okage Yokocho feels like a small town in itself, visitors can enjoy a nostalgic atmosphere as if they have stepped into a late-Edo-period streetscape. At "Okageza Myth Museum," you can view detailed dioramas depicting daily life in the Edo period. At the "Yamaguchi Seishi Haiku Museum & Tokuriki Tomikichiro Woodblock Print Museum," collections related to creators with deep ties to Ise are exhibited, and "Ohako"—a gift where you can freely combine your favorite box design with assorted sweets—is recommended as a souvenir. Character goods themed around "Okage Inu," the legendary dogs said to have made pilgrimages on behalf of their owners from around Japan, are also popular. When you get hungry, you can choose from nearly 20 specialty restaurants for local Mie cuisine, including Ise udon and tekone-zushi, making it easy to find a lunch spot that suits your taste.