You might have already seen the scenic “Meoto Iwa” on photos and wondered what it is and where you can find it"

Two rocks connected by a rope, standing strong in the rough ocean.

Sounds kind of lame at first"
Visited: August 9th 2010

The Sacred Meoto Iwa in Ise
Meoto Iwa (???), also known as “Married Couple Rocks” can be found in Futami Town, Ise City in Mie Prefecture (map).

It’s actually not far from the Grand Ise Shrine, so you can visit both in one day.
 

The big rope that ties the rocks together is called “shimenawa” (???).

Made of braided rice stacks, it’s about 35 m long and actually very heavy.

Everything that’s enclosed by the rope becomes sacred and is protected from evil. Several times a year (May 5, September 5, weekend in mid December) there’s a ceremony to replace the sacred rope.
According to Shinto religion, Izanagi and Izanami are the creators of all Shinto kami (gods).

Meoto Iwa represents the divine union of these two. It’s also a symbol to celebrate the marriage of a man and a woman.
The larger rock personifies the man, the smaller one the woman. The “husband rock” has a tiny Shinto gate on top and is about 9 m away from the “wife rock”.
A lot of Japanese couples actually visit to pray for a happy wedding.
 

Best Time to Visit Meoto Iwa
It’s best to visit in summer (May – July) because you can see how the sun rises just bet...