Home to Fun Things at Meoto Yokocho, Ise
ISE Meotoiwa Meoto Yokocho shops, restaurants and an aquarium are a fun visit for the whole family when you are in the Ise area. Situated by the sea and the entrance to the famous Meoto Iwa (“Wedded Rocks)” is Meoto Yokocho, a shopping and restaurant area with plenty to see, eat, buy and also make!
From here we headed off to try our hand at some craft workshops. We opted for making a goshuincho, a kind of memo/stamp book covered with a traditional Japanese material pattern and used for collecting ink stamps from various temples and shrines around Japan. These are particularly popular with tourists and young women especially.
Following that, we participated in the koke dama workshop where we could choose one or two miniature trees to be planted into a moss covered soil ball. It is a traditional art form not too unlike bonsai.
We chose to go with a momiji (maple tree) and a gajumaru (banyan tree) for our little project.
They go side by side on a plate and are adorned with a miniature rope to look likethe Wedded Rocks. It was a lot of fun to make and we enjoy looking at it everyday at home.
Lastly to rest our weary feet we relaxed by enjoying the free ocean water foot bath. Washing one’s body in the ocean water is traditionally done before visiting the Ise shrines, so we followed suit, even though only feet this day. It was raining heavily, however, so we did not get to visit the shrine area on this occasion.
For more information about the Meoto Iwa and Futamiokitama-jinja Shrine, please visit these articles:
https://www.kankomie.or.jp/en/report/detail_166.html
https://www.kankomie.or.jp/en/report/detail_95.html
Meoto Yokocho is a fun place to stop by when you are in the Ise area. Rain or shine you are sure to find plenty of fun things to see and do when you visit.