Meoto Iwa, the wedded rocks and a small travel tip

One of the special places I visited in Japan is located near the Ise City, the spiritual center of the country. In the Ise Bay, near the JR Futaminoura station, there are two large rocks, tied together by a huge, 1-ton shimenawa, made from 5 thick rice-straw ropes.

These are Meoto Iwa 「夫婦岩」, sacred rocks representing the central deities in the Shinto creation myth, Izanagi and Izanami. The link between them symbolizes their union and that's why Meoto Iwa are also called the "wedded rocks" - it is a celebration of marriage - the larger rock is the husband and the smaller rock is the wife...

Travel tip: The beauty of the scenery is breathtaking, but be sure to visit Meoto Iwa during high-tide (you can use a tide predictor for the Toba, Mie area). At low-tide, the wedded rocks are no longer separated by water and some of the magic is lost...