Top Reasons to Go to Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula

The Shrines: The Grand Shrines of Ise, rebuilt every two decades for the last 1,500 years, are the most sacred in Japan.

Shopping: Nagoya's Noritake is the world's largest porcelain maker. Seto, Tajimi, and Tokoname produce ceramics, Arimatsu tie-dyed fabrics, Gifu paper lanterns and umbrellas, and Seki samurai swords.

Japan at Work and Play: Tour the factories of Toyota, Noritake, and brewers Asahi and Kirin. See the annual sumo tournament in July or Chunichi Dragons baseball games.

Relive Japan's Modernization: Meiji-mura holds 60 original Meiji-era buildings (1868-1912)—including the foyer of Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel—that were reconstructed here.

Eat Fish from the Bird's Mouth: In ukai cormorants capture ayu (sweetfish), but rings around the birds' necks prevent them from swallowing their catch, which is taken by fishermen.