Ise, Japan

Ise formerly called Ujiyamada is a city located in eastern Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshû, Japan. Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shinto Shrine in Japan, and is thus a very popular destination for tourists. The city has a long-standing nickname which roughly means The Holy City (shinto; literally meaning "Capital of the Kami"). It is part of Ise-Shima National Park.

Ise's history is directly linked to that of Ise Grand Shrine. It is important to note that Ise Grand Shrine is separated into two main parts: The Inner Shrine and the Outer Shrine. Despite the names, these are actually two physically separate shrines approximately six kilometers apart.

Modern Ise began with small settlements that sprung up around the two shrines. During the Edo period, Ise was a popular destination for pilgrimages which were called "o-Ise-mairi" (lit: Coming to Ise) and thus these settlements grew larger and developed into small villages. The village around the Inner Shrine was named Uji and the village around the Outer Shrine was named Yamada. Because of the religious importance of Ise Grand Shrine, the shogunate during the Edo period viewed the area as politically significant and installed a magistrate in Yamada.