Best Street Food Near Ise Jingu: A Guide to Oharaimachi & Okage Yokocho

A famous spot run by the long-established Japanese black wagyu specialty shop “Butasute,” founded in 1909.
With a strong commitment to beef, they use only unbred Japanese black wagyu carefully raised by contracted farms, mainly Ise-ushi from Mie.
One of the best parts is enjoying casual beef dishes and deli items that carry on the main shop’s history and quality—freshly fried right at the storefront.
Among them, the “Butasute Croquette,” crispy outside and packed with the savory flavor of beef and potatoes inside, is a classic street-food favorite.
Its old-school taste is popular with everyone from kids to adults.

The only dango specialty shop in Okage Yokocho, with the toasty aroma of rice drifting from the storefront and instantly whetting your appetite.
Made with joshinko (rice flour) from domestically produced non-glutinous rice, their hand-grilled skewered dumplings are a classic street-food favorite widely loved in Ise.
They’re great fresh off the grill, and they keep their chewy texture even when cooled, letting you enjoy a simple, traditional Japanese flavor.
There are many varieties, but the especially popular choices are “mitarashi dango,” lightly sweet with a rich soy-sauce aroma, and “brown sugar syrup dango,” known for its striking look.
Another plus is the affordable price range, from 180 to 250 yen per skewer.

A beloved shop that has been sharing the deliciousness of fish cakes at the foot of Ise Jingu since its founding in 1905.
Using high-quality fish made into surimi while still fresh, they continue crafting premium kamaboko with a traditional method that avoids synthetic preservatives and brings out the fish’s natural umami.
Highly regarded items include “Ise Hanpei,” made by stretching surimi with yam to achieve a perfectly soft texture that’s just right to cut with chopsticks, as well as the cute fish-shaped “Totokama” (sasa kamaboko).
With a wide lineup of single-item purchases, it’s also easy to enjoy as street food.

“Horaitei” is a restaurant attached to “Nikodo,” a long-established souvenir shop near the entrance of Oharaimachi.
Its specialty is dishes made with Matsusaka beef, and the popular menu item is the “Matsusaka Beef Steak Gyudon,” where you can choose your preferred cut, such as ribeye, filet, or short rib.
They also offer local specialties like “Ise udon” and “tekone sushi,” making it a familiar place to stop for a meal during sightseeing.
If you want something quick and easy, it’s recommended to buy Matsusaka beef skewers, steamed meat buns, croquettes, and more at the stall in front of the shop.

A pudding specialty shop that’s been a hot topic as a new Ise local favorite since opening in 2018.
Inside, an antique-style, charming space is filled with stylish, photo-ready treats, letting you enjoy a modern take on deliciousness.
Their signature puddings are handmade one by one by artisans using carefully selected Japanese ingredients and natural vanilla beans, for a creamy, silky texture.
Especially popular among younger women is the “Ise Pudding Toast,” made by soaking sliced bread in pudding custard and grilling it on an iron plate.
Crispy outside and fluffy-melty inside—be sure to try this unique, new kind of taste.

A long-established food stall run by “Ebiya,” which was founded as a diner in the Meiji era (1868–1912).
The biggest appeal is that you can easily enjoy luxury Ise ingredients.
A popular street-food menu item is “Matsusaka Beef Sushi,” a bite-sized way to savor the rich umami of Matsusaka beef.
You can choose from three types—sirloin, marbled beef, and roast beef—and add toppings like sea urchin, salmon roe, or caviar to customize it your way.
Another must-try is the thick “abalone skewer,” made by boiling live abalone and seasoning it simply.

A tofu specialty shop known for handmade tofu made with spring water from the Isuzugawa River, domestically produced soybeans, and natural nigari coagulant.
They offer a safe,安心・safe flavor that brings out the ingredients’ natural taste while keeping additives to a minimum.
Beyond tofu itself, their healthy sweets—made by the producer—are popular as street food.
The “Unohana Donuts,” mixed with okara (soy pulp), have a fluffy texture, and the “Tofu Soft Serve,” made with at least 50% tofu, is rich yet refreshing and delicious.
For a drink, the freshly made “soy milk” is recommended.
Everything is health-conscious, making it a great fit for those watching calories or on a restricted diet.

A long-established soy sauce maker founded in 1889 that has continued crafting carefully made soy sauce and even offers it to Ise Jingu.
By reviving the traditional “Ise Shoyu” and building it into a modern local soy sauce brand, it has earned high praise in Japan and abroad, including winning the Monde Selection Grand Gold Award for 14 consecutive years.
At the main shop, they sell takeout-only, shop-exclusive menu items made with this Ise soy sauce.
Especially popular is the “Original Ise Yaki Udon” (generally sold only on weekends and holidays), with an irresistible savory aroma.
Cooked on an iron plate after you order, it’s served piping hot, and its addictive flavor is widely loved.

A specialty shop for fresh uiro (a type of Japanese sweet) by a long-established business founded in 1923.
Long loved as a souvenir from the Ise pilgrimage and a signature treat of Ise sightseeing, it’s enjoyed by many visitors.
Toraya’s uiro is known for its chewy bounce and refined sweetness, and it’s especially delicious with tea.
In the display case at the storefront, you’ll find over 10 kinds of colorful fresh uiro handmade with traditional methods, from classic flavors to seasonal limited-time varieties using ingredients in season.
Especially popular are the “Ise Tea Chestnut Uiro,” with the fragrance of Ise tea, and the “Sakura Uiro,” with a gentle sweetness that spreads in your mouth.

A long-established shop founded in 1707 in the early Edo period. Near Ise Jingu, its famous specialty that has welcomed Ise pilgrims for many years is “Akafuku mochi.”
A type of mochi sweet topped with smooth red bean paste, it has a distinctive shape.
The historic main shop, rebuilt in 1877, opens at 5:00am—the same time as Ise Jingu’s visiting hours begin.
You can buy souvenir items such as the boxed set of eight or the two-piece “meimei-bako,” and there is also dine-in seating. Inside, you can enjoy a set of two Akafuku mochi with roasted hojicha tea.

A udon shop in “Okage Yokocho.” It serves the local specialty Ise udon, long loved as an essential taste of the Ise pilgrimage.
Fukusuke’s Ise udon stays true to tradition, using thick noodles with a soft, chewy texture.
The dark brown sauce is their own, richly flavored with tamari soy sauce and natural dashi.
Along with “Ise udon,” the menu also includes a limited-quantity “handmade Ise udon” made by artisans. There are many topping choices, such as Matsusaka beef, shrimp tempura, mekabu seaweed, grated yam, and egg.

One of Okage Yokocho’s 대표 tea houses run by the Akafuku Group.
It features an atmospheric exterior and interior that faithfully recreate an Ise merchant house, and from inside you can look out over the Isuzugawa River and the Asama mountain range beyond a karesansui (dry landscape) garden.
The menu offers Japanese and Western sweets that reflect the seasons, and you can relax with original coffee or matcha.
What you should order here is the “sekki wagashi,” carefully crafted one by one by artisans with dedicated attention to detail.
You can enjoy delicate, refined Japanese sweets themed around the 24 solar terms, such as the vernal equinox, minor heat, start of autumn, and winter solstice.
Because the selection changes around every two weeks, it’s also nice that you can look forward to something new each time you visit.

Located in “Okage Yokocho,” the shrine town in front of Ise Jingu lined with many restaurants and souvenir shops.
Their signature dish is “tekone-zushi,” a local specialty loved in the Ise-Shima area.
Tekone-zushi is a hearty fisherman’s dish said to have begun when Shima fishermen, where bonito fishing was thriving, would fillet freshly caught bonito during breaks, slice it thin, drizzle it with soy sauce, and mix it by hand with rice to eat on the spot.

“Matsusaka Maruyoshi Ise Oharaimachi Branch” is located about a 6-minute walk from “Ise Jingu Naiku.”
It’s a Matsusaka beef specialty restaurant operated by “Matsusaka Maruyoshi,” founded in 1961, and it has been loved locally for many years since its founding.
Along with their signature “beef hot pot,” you can enjoy many dishes made with Matsusaka beef, including “steak” and “yakiniku.” Popular menu items include “Matsusaka Beef Hitsumabushi,” “Matsusaka Beef Steak Rice Bowl,” and “Matsusaka Beef Yakiniku Rice Bowl.”