Futamiura

Since the Edo period (1603-1867), Futamiura has been a sacred place for purifying oneself before visiting the Ise Shrine. The town flourished as a place for worshippers to stay overnight, with the streets along the "Futami Okitama Shrine Omotesando" being lined with pure Japanese-style inns and stirring up the spirit of travel within visitors. The most famous landmark in the area, the "Meoto Iwa (Married Couple Rocks)", serves as a shrine gateway to Amaterasu-Omikami and the offshore Okitama Shinseki (Godstone), and the two oddly shaped rocks standing close together are widely believed to bring happiness and safety to married couples.