Ise Jingu and Okage Yokocho as a day trip from Nagoya: access, visiting the Outer and Inner Shrines, hours and winter tips

Ise Jingu in Ise, Mie Prefecture, centres on two shrines: the Outer Shrine (Geku, Toyouke Daijingu) and the Inner Shrine (Naiku, Kotai Jingu). Together they receive more than 7 million visitors a year. From Nagoya Station, the Kintetsu Limited Express or the JR Rapid Mie reaches Iseshi Station in about 1 hour 20 to 30 minutes. Leave Nagoya in the morning, visit the Outer and Inner Shrines, eat your way along Okage Yokocho in front of the Inner Shrine, and you are back in Nagoya by evening.

How do you get from Nagoya to Ise Jingu?

The Ise City Tourism Association gives about 1 hour 20 minutes from Nagoya Station to Iseshi Station, and Okage Yokocho gives about 1 hour 30 minutes. Ise Jingu gives about 10 minutes by bus or taxi between the Outer and Inner Shrines. Local buses are run by Mie Kotsu, including the CAN Bus loop bus. Check fares and timetables on the official sites of Kintetsu, JR Central and Mie Kotsu before you go.

Outer Shrine or Inner Shrine first, and how long does it take?

There is no fixed rule, but the long-standing custom is to visit the Outer Shrine first and then the Inner Shrine. The Outer Shrine is about 5 minutes' walk from Iseshi Station, and its main sights take about 30 minutes. The main sights of the Inner Shrine take about 60 minutes. From the entrance to the main sanctuary it is about 10 minutes' walk from Hiyokebashi Bridge at the Outer Shrine and about 20 minutes from Uji Bridge at the Inner Shrine.

• Outer Shrine (Toyouke Daijingu): dedicated to Toyouke-no-Omikami, the deity who provides food for Amaterasu-Omikami. The grounds include the shrines Takanomiya, Tsuchinomiya and Kazenomiya
• Inner Shrine (Kotai Jingu): dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami. You cross Uji Bridge at the entrance and can rinse your hands in the Isuzu River at Mitarashi. The grounds include the shrines Aramatsurinomiya and Kazahinominomiya
• The way to pray is two bows, two claps and one bow: bow deeply twice, clap twice, then bow once more

Visiting hours and rules to know

• Hours change over the New Year. If you go at the turn of the year, check the latest news on the Ise Jingu official site
• Talismans, amulets and goshuin stamps are available from 6:00 to 18:00
• No photography in no-photo areas, no long shoots in one place with a tripod, no stepladders, no drones and no live streaming
• Pets cannot enter. They can be left at the guard post at the entrance (large pets may not be accepted)
• Coin lockers are only at the entrance of the Inner Shrine (guard post): large 500 yen, medium 400 yen, small 300 yen

Eating your way through Okage Yokocho

In front of the Inner Shrine are the streets of Oharai-machi and Okage Yokocho. Okage Yokocho is about 1 minute's walk from the Jingu Kaikan-mae bus stop, about 17 minutes by bus from Iseshi Station. After visiting the Inner Shrine you can simply walk there.

In winter it closes at 17:00, so plan lunch and snacks around your visit to the Inner Shrine. On the 1st of every month, the Tsuitachi morning market opens early. Hours may change during holiday periods or because of the weather.

Going in winter or over the New Year

• Late November to early December: autumn leaves around the Isuzu River at the Inner Shrine, seen from Mitarashi and Kazahinomi-no-miya Bridge
• Late November to late January: for about a month either side of the winter solstice, the sun rises through the large torii of Uji Bridge at around 7:30. When it is crowded, share the view
• Sunday 6 December: traffic restrictions for the Oise-san Marathon
• New Year: roads around the Inner Shrine get very busy and traffic restrictions may apply. For drivers there is a park-and-bus-ride service with shuttle buses from temporary car parks
• Visiting hours over the New Year differ from usual. Check the latest news on the official site before you go

Every 20 years, Ise Jingu rebuilds its shrines and moves the deities to the new buildings in a ceremony called Shikinen Sengu. The 63rd Shikinen Sengu is being held over a little more than eight years from 2025, with a series of ceremonies along the way.

A sample day from Nagoya

• Morning: Kintetsu Limited Express or JR Rapid Mie from Nagoya Station to Iseshi Station (about 1 h 20–30 min)
• Walk from Iseshi Station to the Outer Shrine (about 5 min) and visit it (about 30 min)
• Bus or taxi to the Inner Shrine (about 10 min). Cross Uji Bridge and visit the Inner Shrine (about 60 min)
• Lunch and snacks in Oharai-machi and Okage Yokocho (until 17:00 in winter)
• Evening: bus back to Iseshi Station and train to Nagoya. Rest at your stay in Nagoya

From October to December both the Outer and Inner Shrines close at 17:00, so it is safest to finish visiting by early afternoon, even on days when you want to go to the Inner Shrine first.

Where to stay in Nagoya for this trip

Both the Kintetsu Limited Express and the JR Rapid Mie leave from Nagoya Station. Central Nagoya is a group of private stays in Nakamura Ward, just west of Nagoya Station. Central Nagoya House and Central Nagoya Residence are 7 minutes' and 2 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station, 4 stops (about 7 minutes) from Nagoya Station on the Higashiyama subway line. Central Nagoya Stays is 4 minutes' walk from Taiko-dori Station, one stop from Nagoya Station on the Sakura-dori Line. Leave Nagoya Station in the morning and come back in the evening, and you can visit Ise without changing accommodation.

• Exploring central Japan from Nagoya →
• Visiting Atsuta Jingu →
• Small towns to visit from Nagoya →
• Nagoya in winter →

Frequently asked questions