5 Photogenic Buildings & Townscapes in Mie

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Best season and time of day: For the Matsusaka Castle ruins, cherry blossom season and dusk. For the Ise Kawasaki townscape, the soft light of the morning. For Seki-juku, early morning in autumn. For the former Hasegawa Jirobei Residence, the fresh greenery of May and the autumn foliage season are recommended. The sun rises between the Meoto Iwa wedded rocks at Futami Okitama Shrine only around the summer solstice.
• Opening hours and closing days: The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum is open 9:30-17:00 and closed every Tuesday (the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday). The former Hasegawa Jirobei Residence is open 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30) and closed every Wednesday (the following weekday when Wednesday is a public holiday) and over the New Year period. The Matsusaka Castle ruins (Matsusaka Park) and the Seki-juku townscape can be visited at any time, but the museums within Seki-juku have set opening hours.
• Admission: The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum costs 350 yen for adults, 200 yen for university and high school students, and 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students. The former Hasegawa Jirobei Residence costs 400 yen for general visitors and 200 yen for those aged 6 to 18. Visiting the Matsusaka Castle ruins, worshipping at Futami Okitama Shrine, and strolling the Seki-juku townscape are all free of charge.
• Access: The Matsusaka Castle ruins and the former Hasegawa Jirobei Residence are about a 12-15 minute walk from JR and Kintetsu Matsusaka Station. The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum is about a 15-minute walk from Kintetsu and JR Iseshi Station. Futami Okitama Shrine is about a 15-minute walk from Futaminoura Station on the JR Sangu Line. Seki-juku is about a 10-minute walk from Seki Station on the JR Kansai Main Line.
• Parking: For whether each site has parking and how much it costs, please check the official websites of Matsusaka City, Ise City and Kameyama City.
• Photography rules: At Futami Okitama Shrine, please refrain from taking photos inside the shrine buildings or during prayer rituals. The townscapes of Ise Kawasaki, Seki-juku and Matsusaka are places where people still live. Do not photograph private property or shop interiors without permission. When using a tripod indoors at the former Hasegawa Jirobei Residence and similar sites, follow the facility's instructions.
• Safety notes: Many parts of the stone walls at the Matsusaka Castle ruins have no fences or handrails, and Matsusaka City also urges visitors to \"take great care when viewing them and not to approach unnecessarily, as the areas directly below and at the edge of the stone walls are especially dangerous.\" Never stand on top of or at the edge of the stone walls to take photos. The seafront at Futami Okitama Shrine is dark in the early morning, and the rocks and the approach become wet and slippery. At Seki-juku, cars use the old Tokaido road.

Note: Prices and opening hours are subject to change. Always check the official websites for the latest information before you visit.

(Sources: Matsusaka City official website (Matsusaka Castle ruins / stone wall condition survey, and the former Hasegawa Jirobei Residence); Ise City official website and the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum official website; Matsusaka Rekishi Bunkasha official website)