Day 3 START
Matsusaka Castle Ruins
Matsusaka Castle, a hilltop castle built on Yoiho-no-Mori forest, a solitary hill 38 meters above sea level, was named one of Japan’s 100 Fine Castles and designated a National Historic Site in 2011. In 1588, Gamo Ujisato, who had been granted a large fief in southern Ise by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, built the castle in just three years. While none of the original buildings remain, the imposing stone walls still stand, offering a glimpse of the castle’s former grandeur.
5minutes on foot
Gojoban Yashiki (Castle Guard Residences)
The former Matsusaka castle guard row houses, known as Gojoban Yashiki, are samurai residences, that were home to warriors of the Kishu domain who relocated here to guard Matsusaka Castle in the late Edo period. Built in 1863 and designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2004, these residences and their connected row-house style is extremely rare in Japan, and people still live in them to this day.
10 minutes on foot
WADAKIN (Lunch)
WADAKIN in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture is the originator of Matsusaka beef. With sukiyaki and more, here you can savor a variety of menu options that bring out the best of every cut. The elegant alcoves and courtyard gardens glimpsed between bites as you gather around the traditional vermillion-lacquered round tables here at WADAKIN are a feast for the eyes as well.
35 minutes by car
Tsu Castle Ruins
In 1580, Nobukane, Oda Nobunaga’s younger brother, built Anotsu Castle. Todo Takatora, who arrived in Tsu from Imabari in Iyo as lord of both Iga and Ise provinces in 1608, carried out major renovations of Tsu Castle and laid the groundwork for the town of Tsu to function both as a castle town and post station. Today, the inner citadel, the west citadel, and part of the inner moat remain, and the site has been maintained as a public park.
25minutes by car
Seki Post Town
Seki Post Town, the 47th of the 53 stations on the Tokaido Highway from Edo, once bustled with feudal lord processions and pilgrims on their way to Ise Shrine. As the only post town on the Tokaido to retain its historic streetscape, Seki has been designated a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
1minute on foot
▼ The Sangu Kaido Pilgrimage Road From Kuwana to Ise, Known as the “Mochi Kaido”
Seki-no-To (Fukawaya)
With over 380 years of history, Fukawaya, a Japanese confectionery in Seki, one of the 53 stations on the Tokaido Highway, still draws the eye of travelers with its 241-year-old storefront bearing the only surviving iori kanban (tile-roof signboard) along the Tokaido Highway. Fukawaya was originally established as a front for the Iga ninja and continues to produce Seki-no-To, a signature confection said to have played a role in ninja intelligence activities.
Shiratama (Maedaya Seika Seki Branch)
Shiratama, made by Maedaya Seika in Seki-cho, Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, the 47th post town of the 53 stations on the Tokaido Highway, is a rice-flour dumpling filled with koshian (smooth red bean paste). This popular Seki specialty never gets old.
35 minutes by car
AQUAIGNIS
AQUAIGNIS is a hot spring resort devoted to relaxation and dining. The vast grounds feature a natural hot spring fed entirely by free-flowing source water, restaurants where talented chefs serve outstanding cuisine, organic cottages, a strawberry farm, and more, making it a blast whether you are visiting for a day trip or staying overnight.
