Ise-Shima Local Quiz Practice: Questions and Explanations

Correct answerAmaterasu-Omikami

The kami enshrined at Naiku, formally Kotaijingu, is Amaterasu-Omikami, regarded as the ancestral deity of the imperial line. Tradition holds she was enshrined at this site roughly two thousand years ago, and the buildings around her have been rebuilt on the same sacred ground every twenty years ever since through the Shikinen Sengu ritual. Visitors traditionally cross Ujibashi Bridge and walk over white gravel on their way to the main sanctuary, a custom followed since ancient times.

Source:伊勢神宮 公式

Correct answerToyo’uke-no-Omikami

The kami enshrined at Geku, formally Toyouke Daijingu, is Toyo'uke-no-Omikami, revered as a guardian of food, clothing, shelter, and industry. Tradition holds she was invited from the old province of Tanba around 1,500 years ago specifically to provide meals for Amaterasu, the deity enshrined at Naiku. Tall cedar groves line the approach to the shrine, giving the whole precinct a hushed, cathedral-like quiet.

Source:伊勢神宮 公式

Correct answerShikinen Sengu

Shikinen Sengu is Ise Jingu's grandest ritual, in which the shrine buildings and sacred treasures are entirely renewed and the kami is moved to a freshly built site right next door every twenty years. The very first Shikinen Sengu is said to have taken place during the Asuka period, and the same twenty-year cycle has continued ever since. Including preparations, the full sequence of ceremonies stretches across roughly eight years.

Source:伊勢神宮 公式

Correct answerMeoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks)

Meoto Iwa pairs a roughly 9-meter-tall male rock with a 4-meter female rock, joined by a thick sacred rope that also serves as a torii gate for worshipping the sacred Okitama stone submerged offshore. Local residents renew this heavy rope three times a year, in May, September, and December. Local residents have long treated the rocks as a sacred site to be carefully preserved and passed down.

Source:夫婦岩 | お伊勢参りは二見から 二見興玉神社

Correct answerDugong

Toba Aquarium is the only aquarium in Japan that keeps and displays the dugong, the marine mammal often credited as the inspiration for mermaid legends. The building is divided into twelve themed zones, and it is one of the few aquariums anywhere that lets visitors see a dugong alongside a manatee, another member of the same order. An outdoor area recreating penguin habitats is also popular with families visiting the aquarium.

Source:ジュゴン - 生きもの図鑑 鳥羽水族館

Correct answerToba Bay in Toba

Mikimoto Pearl Island, home to a memorial hall for pearl king Kokichi Mikimoto, is a small island floating in Toba Bay in the city of Toba. Mikimoto himself was born into a merchant family in Toba, and the island's pearl museum and memorial hall trace the history of his cultivation work and its lasting achievements. Live demonstrations of pearl harvesting let visitors watch the cultivation process up close on the island.

Source:ミキモト真珠島 | 観光スポット | 一般社団法人 鳥羽市観光協会

Correct answerIse ebi (Japanese spiny lobster)

The large lobster long known as a specialty of Ise-Shima is called Ise ebi. Mie Prefecture is one of Japan's leading catch areas alongside Chiba, and to protect the stock, fishers are barred from keeping any individual whose carapace measures less than 4.2 centimeters. It is also enjoyed whole, grilled in its shell, a hearty preparation reserved for festive occasions.

Source:いせえび 伊勢えび（伊勢海老）

Correct answerShima Spain Village

The Spain-themed amusement park in the city of Shima is Shima Spain Village, formally named Parque España. Beyond Spanish-style streets and rides, the park hosts seasonal parades and festival-style events modeled on real Spanish celebrations, giving the whole site a genuinely festive, foreign atmosphere. Fireworks and illuminations light up the grounds after dark.

Source:志摩スペイン村 パルケエスパーニャ | 観光スポット | 観光三重(かんこうみえ)

Correct answerThe G7 Ise-Shima Summit

The international meeting held on Kashikojima in Shima City in 2016 was the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, bringing together the leaders of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada. Shima Kanko Hotel, the venue, underwent a major renovation ahead of hosting the gathering. Roads and waters around the venue were placed under heavy security both before and during the gathering.

Source:参加国 | サミット情報 | 伊勢志摩サミット

Correct answerAkafuku mochi

The mochi confection famous around Okage Yokocho, featuring three ridges of red bean paste said to evoke the flowing Isuzu River, is Akafuku mochi. Wrapped in thin wood veneer resembling bamboo bark, it has long been a beloved souvenir for pilgrims visiting Ise and still lines shop counters today. The soft mochi and smooth red bean paste keep drawing loyal fans back for more.

Source:赤福の歴史 | 伊勢名物 赤福

Correct answerDark-colored and sweet-savory

Ise udon's sauce is dark-colored and richly sweet-savory. The style is said to have taken shape at roadside stalls during the Edo period, serving a quick, ready meal to crowds of Ise pilgrims passing through. The customary way to eat it is simply topped with chopped scallions, working the sauce thoroughly into the noodles before finishing every strand.

Source:Ise City Official: Ise Udon

Correct answer1993

Okage Yokocho opened in 1993. It occupies part of the roughly 800-meter Oharai-machi street leading from Ujibashi Bridge, lined with buildings relocated or faithfully reproduced from around Mie Prefecture, including a merchant warehouse originally from the Kawasaki district of Ise. Many of the original 1993 buildings remain in active use today as rest stops and souvenir shops for visitors.

Source:Ise-Shima Tourism Official: Okage Yokocho

Correct answerSeiman and Doman

The star-shaped seiman, drawn as a single unbroken line, is said to represent an ama diver's ability to find her way back safely from the sea, and it is often paired with the lattice-patterned doman for extra protection. Divers have traditionally embroidered both symbols onto diving clothes and headscarves as charms.

Source:Shima City Official: Sea and Life in Shima

Correct answerTurban shell

Among the shellfish ama divers gather, the one with a spiral shell is the turban shell. Found on rocky seabeds by free-diving alongside abalone, it remains a familiar catch that regularly turns up on dinner tables and in inn cuisine across Ise-Shima. It is also prized whole, grilled in its shell, as a staple of local home cooking.

Source:Shima City Official: Sea and Life in Shima

Correct answerAkoya oyster

The saltwater pearls that are a specialty of Shima City are cultivated using a species of two-shelled bivalve. A small round nucleus is inserted into the shellfish's body, and over time layers of nacre it secretes wrap around that nucleus, gradually forming a pearl. Bringing a pearl to completion typically takes several years of careful attention to the shellfish's health.

Source:Shima City Official: Agriculture and Fisheries

Correct answer1893

Kokichi Mikimoto is said to have achieved the world's first successful pearl cultivation in 1893 (Meiji 26), after repeated failed attempts. A bust and related records commemorating this achievement can still be seen today on Mikimoto Pearl Island. The breakthrough later helped support Japan's export industry, bringing in valuable foreign currency at the time.

Source:始まりはミキモト真珠島から - サステナブル鳥羽

Correct answerHiroshi Naito

The Sea-Folk Museum's building was designed by architect Hiroshi Naito and has received awards including the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize. Its row of gabled roofs, evoking the barns and boat sheds of a fishing village, is widely praised as a distinctive piece of design. The interior makes generous use of natural light, turning the building itself into part of the exhibit.

Source:海の博物館 | 観光スポット | 一般社団法人 鳥羽市観光協会

Correct answerFishing

The Sea-Folk Museum holds a large collection of nationally designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties centered on fishing tools, including those used in ama diving. Its holdings are said to be the largest of any museum in Japan, and it also stores and displays wooden fishing boats gathered from across the country. Part of the storage area is open to the public, offering a rare chance to view the actual tools up close.

Source:海の博物館 | 観光スポット | 一般社団法人 鳥羽市観光協会

Correct answerOsatsu

Ishigami-san is a shrine within the grounds of Shinmei Shrine in the Osatsu district of Toba City. Osatsu is known for its especially large number of active ama divers, and their prayers for safety and a good catch have long drawn devoted worship to this small shrine. Its grounds hold many votive plaques and charms left by women hoping their wishes come true.

Source:石神さん（神明神社） | 観光スポット | 観光三重(かんこうみえ)

Correct answer2017

'The ama diving techniques of Toba and Shima' were designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2017. It was the first time anywhere in Japan that ama diving techniques received this kind of national designation, drawing fresh attention to passing the tradition on. The designation is said to reflect concern over an aging generation of divers and the need to record the technique before it fades.

Source:「鳥羽・志摩の海女漁の技術」が国の重要無形民俗文化財に指定されました！|鳥羽市ホームページ

Correct answerThatch (miscanthus reed)

Shinmei-zukuri roofs are thatched, and the style is characterized by its simple, straight lines built from unpainted plain cypress wood. Its avoidance of color and ornament is often described as a direct architectural expression of the shrine's emphasis on purity. The reeds used for the roof are grown in dedicated fields and harvested on a planned cycle for each reroofing.

Source:社殿の建築｜神宮について｜伊勢神宮

Correct answerGeku

Sengukan is a museum beside Magatama Pond at Geku that explains the Shikinen Sengu ritual. Visitors can view actual tools and ceremonial garments used in the twenty-year renewal, making it a valuable place to learn how the entire rite comes together. Videos and models inside also walk visitors through the craftsmanship and ceremonies involved in the renewal.

Source:式年遷宮記念せんぐう館

Correct answerMay to September

To protect stocks, Ise ebi fishing is generally closed from May through the end of September. The season runs from the October reopening through the following year, and the lobster is prized as a luxury ingredient for New Year's meals and other celebrations. The catch is said to be especially firm just after the season reopens, and local restaurants see a rush of reservations for celebrations.

Source:いせえび 伊勢えび（伊勢海老）

Correct answerThe Hoei era (1707)

Akafuku is said to have been founded in 1707, in the Hoei era, making it a long-established shop that has served Ise pilgrims for over three hundred years. Its main store still stands on Oharai-machi, the street leading to Naiku, keeping the same recipe to this day. Accounts of the shop's name vary, though one tradition ties it to a wish to warmly welcome every pilgrim.

Source:赤福の歴史 | 伊勢名物 赤福

Correct answerBlue and white

Kintetsu's sightseeing limited express Shimakaze is finished mainly in blue and white, evoking the skies over Ise-Shima. With a café car, private compartments, and observation seating, it is designed so that riding the train itself becomes part of the destination. It mainly connects Ise-Shima with Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya, serving as a favorite way to travel for sightseeing.

Source:しまかぜとは｜観光特急しまかぜ｜近畿日本鉄道

Correct answerFrog

Futami Okitama Shrine displays many votive frog figures, known as 'Futami frogs,' linked to good-luck wordplay such as 'kaeru' (to return safely) and 'wakagaeru' (to feel young again).

Source:歴史・由緒 | お伊勢参りは二見から 二見興玉神社

Correct answerSheltered, intricate inlets

Pearl farming in Shima City is supported by this coastal geography: sheltered, intricately shaped inlets with calm water. Their surface is dotted with countless cultivation rafts, and this stillness provides an ideal environment for raising pearl-bearing shellfish. Sheltered from the open ocean's rough swells, the water stays calm enough for the shellfish to grow reliably.

Source:日本農業遺産・志摩市｜志摩市

Correct answerSumiyoshi Taisha and Katori Jingu

'Japan's three great Otaue festivals' are said to be the rice-planting rituals of Izawanomiya, Sumiyoshi Taisha, and Katori Jingu. Each is an ancient ceremony praying for a bountiful harvest, and all three continue to be carefully preserved as their region's representative planting rite. All three share the custom of offering song and dance alongside the rice-planting itself.

Source:日本三大御田植祭 - 日本全国「三大祭」ガイド

Correct answerA crane

According to legend, when Yamatohime-no-mikoto was touring Shima, she encountered a crane carrying in its beak a single rice stalk bearing a thousand ears, and this story is passed down as the origin of the Otaue Festival. That stalk is said to have been planted in the sacred paddy as a symbol of a bountiful harvest. In honor of that story, dances and songs praying for a good harvest are still offered at the festival today.

Source:伊雑宮『御田植祭』（磯部の御神田）｜志摩市

Correct answerThe Ise Bay Typhoon

The Higoto Asayu Omikesai, said to have continued at Geku for nearly 1,500 years, is said to have gone on without a single break even during the 1959 Ise Bay Typhoon, which caused massive damage across the Tokai region. It is remembered as a rite protected through severe crisis. The episode is often retold as an example of just how seriously Geku's daily rites have always been guarded.

Source:外宮で1500年続く日々の祭儀は生命をつなぐ営み 伊勢神宮-3

Correct answerIt became difficult to collect the special construction tax (yakubu kumai)

The Shikinen Sengu was funded by special temporary taxes levied on the provinces, but as the Muromachi shogunate's authority weakened, collecting these funds became difficult, leading to a long suspension during the Sengoku period that is said to have lasted around 120 years. The buildings are said to have fallen into disrepair during the interruption, making the eventual revival a major undertaking.

Source:伊勢神宮、遷宮制度の衰退と復興 - 三重の文化

Correct answerMay to July

The sunrise rising between the rocks of Meoto Iwa is said to be especially beautiful from around May to July, centered on the summer solstice. During this period the sun tends to rise squarely between the two rocks, drawing worshippers and photographers out in the early morning. Photographers and visitors sometimes claim a spot before dawn to catch the view under the best conditions.

Source:歴史・由緒 | お伊勢参りは二見から 二見興玉神社

Correct answerShima Kanko Hotel: The Classic

During the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, US President Obama stayed at 'The Classic' building of Shima Kanko Hotel. The various national leaders were lodged across several buildings of the same hotel complex, and the surrounding venue was placed under tight security. Security considerations for each delegation are said to have factored into how the lodgings were assigned.

Source:伊勢志摩サミットの会場となった「志摩観光ホテル ザ クラシック」

Correct answerYuiitsu-shinmei-zukuri

The architectural style used only for the main sanctuaries of Naiku and Geku, forbidden to be copied by any other shrine, is called yuiitsu-shinmei-zukuri, or 'the one and only shinmei-zukuri.' A defining feature is that its pillars are set directly into the ground rather than resting on foundation stones. It is rebuilt in the same style at every Shikinen Sengu, so its appearance has stayed unchanged for over a thousand years.

Source:社殿の建築｜神宮について｜伊勢神宮

Correct answerBeing able to return safely along a single path

The star-shaped seaman symbol used on Ishigami-san amulets, drawn in a single continuous line, is said to represent an ama diver's ability to return safely to where she started. It is often paired with a lattice-patterned symbol called doman for added protection. Ama divers have embroidered the symbol onto diving clothes and headscarves as a charm for their own protection.

Source:石神さん（神明神社）が女子旅に大人気！

Correct answer2024

Shima Spain Village marked 30 years since its 1994 opening in April 2024, holding an anniversary ceremony and limited-time events. The milestone became an occasion to look back on decades spent supporting tourism across the region. Renewed attractions also debuted, welcoming back longtime fans alongside a new generation of visitors.

Source:今日は志摩スペイン村30周年の開園記念日です - 志摩スペイン村オフィシャルブログ

Correct answerIse-shi Station → Toba Station → Shima-Isobe Station → Kashikojima Station

Traveling by Kintetsu from Ise-shi Station toward Kashikojima, the line runs through the Toba Line and Shima Line, passing Toba Station and Shima-Isobe Station before reaching the terminus at Kashikojima Station. The route offers seaside views throughout, and several sightseeing limited expresses run this stretch. Each station sits near its own stretch of coastline, and many travelers break their journey partway to explore.

Source:近鉄志摩線（鳥羽−賢島）線の路線図・停車駅 - 駅探

Correct answerPurify yourself with hama-sangu at Futami Okitama Shrine → Worship at Geku (the Outer Shrine) → Worship at Naiku (the Inner Shrine)

In the traditional Ise pilgrimage, one first purifies oneself with hama-sangu at Futamigaura, then visits Geku before Naiku, following the old custom known as 'Geku first.' Many pilgrims still follow this same sequence when they visit today. Accounts of why Geku comes first vary, though one holds that it expresses gratitude to Toyo'uke-no-Omikami before all else.

Source:伊勢神宮の正式参拝ルート｜二見→外宮→内宮を巡る旅

Correct answerIt served as the venue for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit / It has 'The Classic' building designed by architect Togo Murano

Shima Kanko Hotel served as the venue for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit and consists of several buildings, including 'The Classic,' designed by architect Togo Murano. Thanks to its setting overlooking Ago Bay, it had already hosted dignitaries from Japan and abroad well before the summit. Guest rooms are said to offer views of the sunset over Ago Bay, making it a popular choice for anniversary stays.

Source:G7伊勢志摩サミット2016の舞台「志摩観光ホテル」へ伊勢志摩サミットの会場となった「志摩観光ホテル ザ クラシック」

Correct answerAbout 10%

Roughly 10 percent of Mikimoto Pearl Island's visitors are said to come from overseas. The museum and demonstration areas that trace the history of pearl cultivation draw mostly domestic visitors, and the island remains a beloved destination for travelers from within Japan as the birthplace of pearl farming. Independent overseas travelers have grown more common in recent years, and multilingual signage has expanded accordingly.

Source:始まりはミキモト真珠島から - サステナブル鳥羽