Ise

City in Mie prefecture, Honshu island, Japan, on Ise Bay southeast of Kyoto; population (1995 est) 102,632. The city is the market for an agricultural area noted for tea and oranges. Industries include the manufacture of electrical appliances, cotton, textiles, umbrellas, paper goods, and lacquerware. The city also has a number of shipyards. It is the site of the most sacred Shinto shrine, Ise Jingu, which together with nearby Ise-Shima National Park, attracts many visitors each year.

The Ise Jingu is in two parts, separated by 6 km/4 mi. The Inner Shrine, traditionally dating from 4 BC, is dedicated to the sun goddess and mythological ancestor of the Imperial Family, Amaterasu. It is rebuilt every 20 years in the form of a perfect thatched house of the 7th century BC and containing the octagonal mirror of the goddess. The Outer Shrine, dating from the 5th century AD, is dedicated to Toyuke, the god of food, clothing, and housing. Many education and cultural facilities are linked to the shrine.