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Add to SafariWhen comparing Nara vs Ise, the Slant community recommends Nara for most people. In the question“What are the best cities to visit in Japan besides Tokyo and Kyoto?” Nara is ranked 2nd while Ise is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Nara is:
There are wild deer roaming all the local parks. You can buy feed for cheap and enjoy being chased by dozens of deers.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Wild deers everywhere
There are wild deer roaming all the local parks. You can buy feed for cheap and enjoy being chased by dozens of deers.
Pro Quiet, serene primeval forest
The Kasugayama Primeval Forest behind the shrine is a peaceful place to go hiking. Although it isn't nearly as mysterious in person as 'primeval forest' sounds, it's still a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban cities.
Pro Close to Kyoto
Pro Ancient shrine
Kasuga Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Japan and the head of the Kasuga branch of shrines. The moss covering much of the architecture is unique compared to the spotless shrines in other parts of Japan.
Pro Home of the highest ranking Shinto shrine
The Ise Grand Shrine is unique in Japan as being the top of the hierarchy of Shinto shrines connecting to Japan's imperial house. It is taken down and completely rebuilt every 20 years.
Pro Ise lobster
Despite being a small town, Ise is home to the Ise lobster, which is well-known throughout Japan for its culinary applications. There are entire traditional course meals using the Ise lobster at Ise's traditional inns.
Cons
Con Not a lot to do after a few days
Ise is a small town, so there's a fairly finite number of attractions in Ise. Ise is best for 2-day-1-night trips.
Con No direct bullet train to Ise
If traveling from Tokyo, travelers must transfer from Nagoya onto the local rail system to get to Ise.
