When comparing Ise vs Takayama, the Slant community recommends Ise for most people. In the question“What are the best cities to visit in Japan besides Tokyo and Kyoto?” Ise is ranked 6th while Takayama is ranked 11th. The most important reason people chose Ise is:
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.
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Pros
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.
Pro Traditional crafts and shopping streets
The Hida Folk Village is modeled after a traditional town, where you can see artisans work on their crafts and go shopping.
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.