5 Photogenic Power Spots in Mie

When you think of Mie Prefecture, it's not just Ise Jingu! In this spiritually powerful land, said to have been home to the gods since ancient times, breathtaking scenery is scattered everywhere, making you want to press the shutter. This time we've carefully selected five power spots that are sure to be Instagrammable. Wrapped in a mystical atmosphere, let's go aim for that special shot.

(1) Ise Jingu Naiku (Ise City, Mie Prefecture)

Uji Bridge, spanning the Isuzu River, is a representative photogenic spot of Ise Jingu. The sun rises through the torii of Uji Bridge from late November to late January, at around 7:30 a.m., and around the winter solstice it rises directly in front of the torii (Jingu Administration Office). The morning mist and golden light create a fantastical atmosphere. Shooting from a low angle straight in front of the bridge creates a composition with depth, like a tunnel of light. The cobblestones and the green of the trees are also beautiful, and it can be enjoyed throughout the four seasons.

Access: About 16-20 minutes by Mie Kotsu bus from Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station, alighting at Naiku-mae.

(2) Futami Okitama Shrine (Ise City, Mie Prefecture)

The Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) standing in the sea are also popular as a power spot for matchmaking. The summer solstice sunrise rising from between the rocks is spectacular, and the golden shimmering water surface and the silhouette of the torii put on a miraculous collaboration. The recommendation is the magic hour right after sunrise. The time when the horizon is dyed pink and purple has a beauty like a painting. Aiming for a water-surface reflection with the Wedded Rocks as the star is the best composition. Waves can wash in without warning, however, so do not go right down to the water’s edge — shoot from the sea wall or the promenade instead.

Access: About 25 minutes by bus from JR / Kintetsu Iseshi Station.

(3) Hana-no-Iwaya Shrine (Kumano City, Mie Prefecture)

Hana-no-Iwaya Shrine, also said to be Japan's oldest shrine, boasts an overwhelming sense of scale with a 45-meter-high giant rock as its object of worship. The atmosphere flowing along the rock face and the primal sacredness create a one-of-a-kind worldview. May, with fresh greenery, and November, with autumn foliage, are especially beautiful, and the contrast of the giant rock with the green and red is ideal for photogenic photos. With a dynamic upward-angle shot looking up at the rock, try to express the sense of scale to the fullest.

Access: About 4 minutes by bus bound for Shingu Station from JR Kumanoshi Station, alighting at Hana no Iwaya.

(4) Shishiiwa (Kumano City, Mie Prefecture)

Shishiiwa (Lion Rock), towering along the Kumano coast, is a giant 25-meter-high rock created by nature. As its name suggests, its figure, like a roaring lion, is somehow exotic and photogenic. At dusk the rock is dyed vermilion, and the contrast with the blue of the Kumano Sea backdrop gives a vivid impression. You can shoot from the parking lot along National Route 42, and capturing the entire rock with a wide angle against the sea backdrop is recommended.

Access: About a 10-minute walk from Kumanoshi Station on the JR Kisei Line.

(5) Tsubaki Grand Shrine (Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture)

Tsubaki Grand Shrine, enshrined in the deep green forest of the Suzuka mountain range, is an ancient shrine known as the head shrine of Sarutahiko-no-Okami. The moss-covered stone steps continuing along the approach and the green tunnel created by giant trees give off a mystical atmosphere. The spring fresh-greenery season and the time of day in autumn when morning mist hangs are especially worth aiming for. Shooting the stone steps in a vertical composition, the sunlight filtering through the trees and the green of the moss draw a fantastical gradation.

Access: About 55 minutes by Mie Kotsu bus bound for Tsubaki Grand Shrine from Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station.

Mie Prefecture's mystical power spots seem to convey even their spiritual energy through photographs. By all means, wake up early and visit during the refreshing time when no one is around. It's sure to be a special trip that purifies your heart too.

Practical Information for Your Visit

The details below are drawn from official announcements by the facilities, local governments and transport operators concerned (as of September 2026). Opening hours, fees and road closures change, so please check the official websites linked here before you travel.

Ise Jingu Naiku

• Worship hours: 5:00-18:00 in January, February, March, April and September; 5:00-19:00 from May to August; 5:00-17:00 in October, November and December (hours change over the New Year).
• Amulets and goshuin: 6:00-18:00 (until 17:00 from October to December, when worship ends earlier), at the kaguraden of both shrines and the betsugu attendants' offices.
• Walking time: About 20 minutes on foot from Uji Bridge to the main sanctuary.
• Accessibility: There are 25 steps in front of the main sanctuary at Naiku, and no ramp.
• Lockers: Coin lockers are available at the guard post at the Naiku entrance (500 yen large, 400 yen medium, 300 yen small).
• Photography: The six restrictions the shrine sets out are: shooting in designated no-photography areas; extended shooting from one spot using a tripod or similar; using step ladders; drone photography; live streaming; and commercial use, which the shrine defines as including monetising published photographs or video.
• Etiquette: Keep to the left at Geku and to the right at Naiku. Bow twice, clap twice, bow once.

(Source: Jingu Shicho, https://www.isejingu.or.jp/visit/ and https://www.isejingu.or.jp/qa/ )

Futami Okitama Shrine (Meoto Iwa)

• Hours: The grounds are open at all times. The amulet office in front of the main hall opens 7:00-16:45 (7:00-16:15 from November to the end of February), and prayer reception is 9:00-16:00 (9:00-15:30 from November to February).
• Access: About 15 minutes on foot from Futaminoura Station on the JR Sangu Line, or about 10 minutes by car from Ise IC. Taxis do not always wait at Futaminoura Station, so the shrine advises arranging your return ride when you are dropped off.
• Parking: The car parks in front of the shrine become very congested, so the shrine directs visitors to five nearby car parks: Futaminoura Beach (150 spaces, about 15 minutes' walk), Futami Sogo (220 spaces, about 15 minutes), Futami Senior Welfare Center (120 spaces, about 10 minutes), the Ise City Futami branch office (20 spaces, about 10 minutes) and Otonashiyama Park (30 spaces, about 5 minutes).
• Sunrise: At the summer solstice (21 June) the sun rises at the very centre between the wedded rocks, and for the three months either side, from May to July, the sunrise can be seen between them. Around the full moon from October to January, for roughly four days either side, the moon appears between the rocks.
• Photography: The shrine states plainly that you cannot reserve a spot in advance with a tripod, so arriving early on the day matters. Drone photography within the grounds is asked to be refrained from.

(Source: Futami Okitama Shrine, https://futamiokitamajinja.or.jp/faq/ and https://futamiokitamajinja.or.jp/shootsunrise/ )

Hana no Iwaya Shrine

• The rite: The official name is the Otsunakake Shinji. The spring grand festival is held on 2 February from 10:00 and the autumn grand festival on 2 October from 10:00.
• What happens: A great rope some 166 m long is drawn from the top of the roughly 45 m rock that serves as the shrine body out towards Shichiri Mihama beach and across the grounds. It is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Mie Prefecture. Stepping over the rope is taboo.
• Access: About 4 minutes by bus bound for Shingu Station from JR Kumanoshi Station, alighting at Hana no Iwaya; about 10 minutes from Kumano-Ohama IC. The roadside station Kumano Hana no Iwaya "Otsuna Chaya" adjoins the site.
• Enquiries: Kumano City Tourism Association, 0597-89-0100.

(Source: Hana no Iwaya Regional Revitalization Council, https://hananoiwaya.com/ and Kumano City Tourism Public Corporation, https://kumano-kankou.com/?p=1035 )

Tsubaki Grand Shrine

• Worship hours: 5:00-18:00 from November to April, and 5:00-19:00 from May to October.
• Amulet office: Amulets and goshuin are issued 8:00-16:30. Prayer reception is 8:00-16:00 and no booking is needed.
• Parking: Free, about 500 spaces.
• Access: 10 minutes from Suzuka IC on the Higashi-Meihan Expressway (about 40 minutes from Nagoya, 2 hours from Osaka). It is 2 minutes from Suzuka PA on the Shin-Meishin, but that is a smart interchange usable only by ETC-equipped vehicles. Buses run about ten times a day: roughly 55 minutes from Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station and about an hour from JR Yokkaichi Station.
• Photography: The shrine states that it firmly declines photography carried out as a business activity.

(Source: Tsubaki Grand Shrine, https://tsubaki.or.jp/sanpai/ and https://tsubaki.or.jp/access/ )