Nakagawa Bakery (中川ベーカリー) is a neighbourhood cake shop in Kuwana, Mie, that has been baking for 80 years. Its baumkuchen won a top prize at Japan’s national confectionery expo. It’s takeaway only, with two car parks, so it makes an easy sugar stop if you’re driving. We called in on our drive home from Ise

Akafuku (赤福) has been making the same sweet on Oharai-machi, the old pilgrim street outside Ise Jingu’s Inner Shrine, since 1707. It’s soft white mochi hidden under smooth red bean paste, pressed into three ridges. At the main shop you eat it with a cup of tea, sitting on the veranda over the Isuzu River.

Tsutaya (つたや) is a small Ise udon shop in the old Kawasaki merchant quarter of Ise, Mie, that has been running since 1945. Ise udon is nothing like the firm udon you may know: the noodles are thick and very soft, served in a dark, rich tamari sauce. We had lunch there on a Thursday

Shinya (新家) is a chicken yakiniku restaurant and butcher in Matsusaka, Mie. You grill the chicken yourself at the table, in the sweet miso sauce the area is known for. We had lunch there on a Wednesday in October 2026 and paid ¥8,500 for three. It was delicious, but we ordered far too much. Order

Kawaichi (川市) is a family noodle house in Kuwana, Mie, that has been serving miso-nikomi udon, hamaguri clam udon and its own gyoza for over 60 years. We ate there in October 2026 and paid ¥4,620 for three. It’s closed on Tuesdays and is worth the stop if you’re passing through Kuwana. Kuwana sits where