Mie Prefecture is best known as the home of Ise Jingu, Japan’s most important Shinto shrine, but the drive around it—a mountain skyline with sea views, a pearl-farming coastline, and even a world-famous racetrack—makes it worth more than a single stop. In this article, we introduce 5 of the best drive spots in Mie, plus a private guided tour option.
Ise Jingu – Japan’s Most Sacred Shrine
Ise Jingu is Japan’s most revered Shinto shrine complex, dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu and rebuilt from scratch every 20 years in a ritual called Shikinen Sengu that has continued for over a millennium. The complex is split between the Inner Shrine (Naiku) and Outer Shrine (Geku), a short drive apart, both set within dense forest that makes the approach feel far removed from the souvenir shops of nearby Okage Yokocho. Most visitors combine a shrine visit with a walk through Okage Yokocho’s traditional streets for local snacks like Akafuku mochi.
Ise-Shima Skyline – The “Driveway in the Sky”
Climbing from Ise Jingu’s Inner Shrine over Mount Asama to Toba, the 16.3km Ise-Shima Skyline is nicknamed the “driveway in the sky” for its sweeping views over the Ise Plain, the Suzuka Mountains, and Ise Bay—on especially clear days, Mount Fuji is visible in the distance. At the 555m summit, a “sky mailbox” designated a satellite Lovers’ Sanctuary and an outdoor footbath overlooking the bay make it worth stopping for more than photos. Partway along, Kongosho-ji Temple has long been visited by Ise pilgrims as a companion stop to the shrine itself.
Toll fee: 1,270 JPY
Pearl Road – Rias Coastline Between Toba and Shima
Running 23.8km along Mie’s rias coastline between Toba and Shima, Pearl Road winds past inlet after inlet, with the Toba Observatory partway along offering one of the route’s best photo stops overlooking the oyster rafts of Ojika Bay. Free to drive since being detolled in 2006, the northern half is called the Seaside Line and the southern half the Oku-Shima Line, split by the Matoya Bay Bridge—together they make for one of the most consistently scenic coastal drives in the Tokai region.
Toba & Mikimoto Pearl Island
Toba is where Kokichi Mikimoto perfected the world’s first cultured pearl in the 1890s, and Mikimoto Pearl Island, connected to the mainland by a short bridge, tells that story alongside demonstrations by ama female pearl divers—a tradition still practiced along this coast today. Toba’s harbor also has one of Japan’s largest aquariums, making the town an easy stop to break up a day between Ise Jingu and the Pearl Road.
Car Lovers’ Bonus: Suzuka Circuit
No Mie road trip is complete without a mention of Suzuka Circuit, one of the world’s most famous racetracks and long-time host of the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. Built by Honda in 1962 as Japan’s first full-scale racing circuit, its distinctive figure-eight layout—crossing over itself via an overpass—remains unique among F1 venues. Beyond the F1 weekend, the circuit hosts driving experiences, a go-kart track, and Suzuka Circuit Park, a family amusement park, making it worth the detour even outside race season.
Want a Guided Drive Instead?
If you’d rather not navigate the Ise-Shima Skyline’s toll gates and Pearl Road’s coastal curves yourself, the Shima: Private Ise-Shima Tour with Local Guide offers a slower, more personal alternative. It’s a 7-hour private tour mixing light walking with car transfers between stops, built around Ise Jingu plus a handful of spots that mostly only locals know about—the guides are known for tailoring the day heavily around each traveler’s pace and interests rather than following a fixed script. Lunch is a genuine highlight: travelers choose between a Matsusaka beef restaurant or a seafood barbecue with local ama female pearl divers, sometimes meeting the divers themselves on the coast beforehand.
Rated a perfect 5.0 from reviews, the tour is consistently praised by name for its guides—several reviewers described the day as feeling more like a road trip with a knowledgeable friend than a typical tour, with more than one mentioning an unplanned stop to watch ama divers at work. At around ¥30,000 per person, it suits travelers who want depth and local connection over a checklist of sights, and pickup is flexible anywhere within the Ise, Toba, or Shima area.
Summary
Ise Jingu’s forested shrine grounds are the obvious reason to visit Mie, but the sky-high views from the Ise-Shima Skyline and the rias coastline along Pearl Road make the drive there and back just as worthwhile. Car enthusiasts should build in time for Suzuka Circuit. The 2026 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix took place on March 27–29.
If you’re continuing toward Kansai, our Kyoto drive spots guide is a comfortable drive further west.
Comment Comment