3 temples · 9 shrines
Mie Prefecture, known in Japanese as 三重県, is located in the Kansai region of central Japan along the Pacific coast. It is home to Ise Jingu, one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines, as well as the scenic Ise-Shima coast and the historic town of Matsusaka.
A ranked guide to standout temples and shrines for planning a meaningful visit.
Head temple of the Takada branch of Jōdo Shinshū in Isshinden, Tsu. Founded in the 1470s as Muryōjuin, it became the head temple in the 16th century. Its Mieidō and Nyoraidō halls are National Treasures.
View detailsSugawara Jinja, known as Ueno Tenjingū, enshrines Sugawara no Michizane and served as the guardian shrine of old Ueno town under the Tōdō lords. Matsuo Bashō dedicated his first haiku collection here, and its autumn Ueno Tenjin Matsuri is UNESCO intangible...
Hatsuumadera, formally Renkoin, is a Shingon temple of the Omuro school in Tsu, known locally as the Hatsuumasan. Tradition says Prince Shotoku carved its Bato Kannon in 614 when he fell ill in an unlucky year. It was the prayer temple of the Todo lords,...
Mieken Gokoku is a Shinto shrine in Tsu, Mie, dedicated to the spirits of more than 60,300 war dead from Mie Prefecture. It is near Tsu Station and serves as a local place for memorial rites, New Year visits, and family prayers.
Shitennoji in Tsu is a Soto Zen temple said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku at Empress Suiko's wish. Rebuilt by the castle lord Oda Nobukane, it holds the grave of Dota Gozen, mother of Oda Nobunaga, and Important Cultural Property portraits of Todo...
Kozan Jinja stands in the grounds of Tsu Castle and enshrines Todo Takatora, the castle's builder and first lord of the Tsu domain; the name comes from his posthumous title Kozan. Founded in 1876 and moved to the castle in 1903, it burned in the 1945 air...
Suwa Shrine in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to SuwanoKami. It hosts the annual Yokkaichi Festival each October, featuring a famous Ōnyūdō festival float designated as a Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Mie Prefecture.
Tsubaki Okami Yashiro is a historic Shinto shrine in Suzuka, Mie, known as Tsubaki Grand Shrine. It is linked to Sarutahiko Ōkami, dates to legend in 3 BCE, and sits at 1871 Yamamotochō with a serene mountain setting and long pilgrimage traditions.
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