A visit to perhaps, Japan’s most consecrated shrine Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture would not be complete without a stopover at the ancient streets of Okage Yokocho in Oharaimachi, Ise city. The name of the neighborhood pertains to okage (generosity) by the yokocho (side road), which reflects the special kindness and hospitality offered by the townspeople of Ise towards traveling pilgrims to the benevolent shrine.
Okage Yokocho
Photo by: PIXTA/ y.uemura Many of the buildings now exist as souvenir stores and restaurants spanning generations.
Pilgrimages to Ise Jingu had begun to flourish since Edo times. Ise Jingu priests were said to perform Shinto music, dances, and rituals to cast away oharai (evil spirits) for the travelers who experienced hardships along the way; thus, the name Oharaimachi. In 1993, the same year as the shrine’s ritual reconstruction every twenty years, Okage Yokocho was built by the town’s confectionery makers, headed by Akafuku Company, as a gesture of gratitude for the prosperous business around Ise Jingu.
Just a stone’s throw from the entrance gate of the naiku (inner shrine), Okage Yokocho stretches to about one kilometer long, lined with nostalgic Edo and Meiji architecture. They have been renovated using traditional construction methods consisting of tsuga pine wood which is known to be durable against strong winds and rain.
One can find the Okage-za Mythical Hall where videos, 3D displays and a theater illustrate the origin of Ise and the world of Japanese mythology. Tsuboya, designed like a shrine, sells lottery tickets and also a wide array of interesting tobaccos. In the center of the village is the Taiko Yagura drum tower where taiko drum performances are held, adding cultural vibrancy to the street atmosphere.
Food Delights
Photo by: PIXTA/ 7ayate.T Sweet bean paste from Akafuku is one of Okage Yokocho’s most sought-after delicacies.
During the high season, Okage Yokocho can get very crowded with visitors hungry for the numerous traditional gastronomic delights catered by around sixty establishments. Akafuku mochi, pounded rice cake with sweet bean paste, is regarded as the most sought-after delicacy. The original shop was established in 1877 and is located across Oharaimachi-dōri. Confectioners can also be seen making the mochi on the spot.
The popular Mitarashi-dango rice dumplings with varied flavors are also baked onsite. Sticky puddings diffusing a mellow and deep flavor of soy sauce are often lined up at Ise Shouronpo.
Matsusaka beef originating in Mie can be tasted ubiquitously in these streets: beef skewers at Dangoro Chaya and Matsusaka bone soup and ramen at Yokocho Soba Shouseiko, among others.
