5 Photogenic Buildings & Townscapes in Mie | Recommended Retro Architecture and Castles for Instagram

Mie Prefecture is dotted with stunning architecture and atmospheric townscapes that make you reach for your camera. From historic castle towns to retro Western-style buildings, here are 5 special spots to brighten up your Instagram feed.

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1. Matsusaka Castle Ruins (Matsusaka City)

The Matsusaka Castle Ruins, with their breathtaking dry-stone (nozura-zumi) walls, are a spot where the contrast between the moss-covered stonework and the blue sky photographs beautifully. Especially during the spring cherry blossom season, the pale pink and gray stone walls overlap to create a scene as lovely as a painting. Use a low-angle shot looking up at the stone walls to convey their overwhelming scale. At dusk, the combination of the orange-tinted sky and the stone walls is romantic.

Access: About a 10-minute walk from JR / Kintetsu Matsusaka Station

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2. Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum (Ise City)

The Ise Kawasaki area, where merchant architecture from the Edo period remains intact, is a treasure trove for photography with its continuous retro townscape. The townhouse alleys, where white walls and black wooden boards alternate, are best in the time slot when the soft morning light filters in. Pointing your camera toward the far end of an alley completes an emotive composition with a sense of depth.

Access: About 5 minutes by bus or taxi from Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station

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3. Futami Okitama Shrine and the Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) (Futami-cho, Ise City)

Futami Okitama Shrine, where a red torii gate, the Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks), and the sea all fit into a single frame, offers a one-of-a-kind photogenic scene. Around the summer solstice, in the early morning, you can witness the sun rising between the Wedded Rocks, allowing you to capture a truly miraculous shot. A composition with the torii in the foreground and the Wedded Rocks behind it is especially popular on social media. The frog stone statues lining the approach also make a cute accent.

Access: About a 15-minute walk from JR Futaminoura Station

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4. Seki-juku (Kameyama City)

Seki-juku, which preserves the vestiges of a post town on the Tokaido road, is a miraculous townscape designated as a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. The continuous row of wooden buildings stretching about 1.8 km is picturesque no matter where you frame it. The early autumn morning when mist hangs in the air is wrapped in a special, dreamlike mood, offering a chance to take a unique photo you cannot get anywhere else. A straight, wide-pull composition from the center of the road is recommended.

Access: About a 5-minute walk from JR Seki Station

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5. Former Hasegawa Jirobee Residence (Matsusaka City)

The residence of the Hasegawa family, wealthy merchants of Matsusaka, charms visitors with its refined Japanese beauty woven from white-plastered storehouses and a Japanese garden. During the fresh greenery of May or the autumn foliage season, the harmony with the garden is exquisite, and shooting the garden through the engawa (veranda) feels like a scene from a period drama. Film-style shots using the light filtering through the shoji screens from inside the room are also recommended.

Access: About a 15-minute walk from JR / Kintetsu Matsusaka Station

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The architecture and townscapes of Mie are all places where a sense of "unhurried time" lingers. Be sure to visit during the golden hour of early morning or evening.

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