Name: Luxury Getaway By Train | 2-Day Trip
Uploaded: 2025-06-17T18:13:31.000Z
Duration: 13 min 2 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

The Shima Peninsula, home to rugged and stunning coastlines, tranquil nature, luxury hotel resorts, and Ise Jingu, Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines.

The Shima Peninsula is easily accessible from Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya.

In this video, I'll be using the 5-day Kintetsu Rail Pass, now available as a digital ticket, which allows unlimited travel on the Kintetsu Railway Network and the Iga Railway.

The pass includes various discounts at sightseeing spots and facilities, and can be used only by international tourists.

Direct limited express trains operated by Kintetsu connect the peninsula with Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya.

My name is Raina Ong, and join me as I go on a luxury getaway by train.

On day 1, I take the limited express Shimakaze to Kashikojima, from where my hotel transfer takes me to the hotel.

I spend my day in the hotel participating in activities like traditional wood carving and going on a cruise off the bay, before having dinner.

On day 2, I take a bus directly to Ise Shrine.

Once there, I explore the traditional approach to the shrine, sampling some local foods before visiting Naiku, the innermost sacred shrine in Ise.

Among the lineup of sightseeing limited express trains operated by Kintetsu Railway, the Shimakaze is one of their nicest and special trainsets.

The train connects the Shima Peninsula to Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya, offering direct, seamless journeys in style and luxury from each major city.

The Shimakaze train contains two observation cars with large windows, salon booths, private rooms, and even a dining car.

Nestled in a lush forested area not far from Kashikojima Station, the Shimakanko Hotel is a luxury resort overlooking Ago Bay that consists of two properties, the Classic and the Bay Suites.

The hotel brand has long been a symbol of grandeur, hosting the former Emperors of Japan and the G7 Ise Shima Summit in 2016.

The hotel emphasizes relaxation and exclusivity, with fine dining, lounge areas, spas, strolling gardens, and personalized service, making it an ideal destination for a peaceful yet refined getaway.

The room that I'm staying in is the actual room that the German representative of the 2016 G7 Summit, Angela Merkel, stayed in.

One of the traditional crafts of Mie Prefecture is Ise Ittobori, a type of wood carving technique said to have started when shrine carpenters used the leftover wood from building the sacred Ise shrines to carve out small, auspicious charms centuries ago.

This is Ota Yui-sensei, one of only four Ise Itobori artisans in the world.

She's going to be teaching me the carving techniques, and we're going to be turning this into this.

Ki ga tsukareta to omou ne, zutto guppa guppa shite.

Outside, a cobblestone stairway leads down to the water.

The approximately 45-minute cruise takes visitors along the shores of Agobe.

As part of the Ise Shima National Park, the bay contains numerous small islands and many pearl farming rafts.

It was here in Agobe that Mikimoto Kokichi and others pioneered pearl cultivation and created the pearl industry as we know it today.

And behind me, you can see the pearl farms that are marked out by the black buoys.

The Shima Peninsula is known for its bountiful seafood, and was once one of the three regions that provided the imperial court with food.

It is also in the calm waters of Agobe that the two regional delicacies of Ise lobster and abalone can be found.

The Shimakanko Hotel opened in 1951 and has welcomed many distinguished guests who want to relax in a peaceful, luxurious environment while experiencing top-notch service.

In addition to the two hotel properties, a section of the original building has been transformed into a gallery displaying the hotel's history.

This building is a part of the original Shimakanko Hotel that was built in 1951.

The architect who designed it also did the Akasaka Palace State Guesthouse in Tokyo.

La Mer is a one-Michelin-star French restaurant overlooking Agobe.

The chef combines prized local ingredients with a French cooking style and takes diners on a culinary journey of the region.

I'm super looking forward to dinner tonight.  This salad dish is so pretty.

I kind of don't want to destroy it by eating it, but I also know that it's going to be so delicious.

So this deconstructed lobster bisque is unique to the Shimakanko Hotel Bay Suites.

Ise lobster is a local specialty of the Shima Peninsula and I know this one is going to be absolutely delicious.

After breakfast, I take the direct Pearl Shuttle bus that connects the Kintetsu-operated hotels in the Shima Peninsula with Ise Shrine.

The traditional approach to Ise Shrine goes through Oharaimachi, a district known for its traditional atmosphere.

In the past, weary travellers walking to Ise Shrine could stop in Oharaimachi for rest, food and gathering travel information.

Ise Udon is a local specialty in which soft udon noodles are served with a splash of dark sauce.

This is made so that the noodles can be prepared at a moment's notice and visitors can eat it quickly and be on their way to Ise Shrine.

It's so soft you don't really need much effort to chew it or bite it.

Hakutaka Sake Brewery is the only brewery to supply sake that is offered to the gods of Ise Shrine in their two daily meals.

This is the sake that is offered to the gods at Ise Jingu, and here you can try it for yourselves.

It's mostly sweet but has a small dry aftertaste.

The approximately 100m long Uji Bridge allows visitors to cross from the physical world into the spiritual realm of Ise Shrine.

Crossing the Isuzu River that runs below it is a symbolic way of cleansing our hearts and minds before approaching the main shrine.

Surrounded by a dense forest of large trees and lush nature, Naiku, or the Inner Shrine, is one of Japan's most sacred Shinto sites.

Dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess, the site is believed to have been founded over 2,000 years ago.

Despite Ise Jingu's long history, the shrine buildings appear relatively new.

This is due to a centuries-old tradition of rebuilding the shrines every 20 years on adjacent sites.

The 62nd rebuilding was completed in 2013, and the 63rd is scheduled for 2033.

Thanks to this practice, we can see Shinmeizukuri, a traditional Japanese architectural style that has survived millennia at Ise Shrine.

Unlike most other styles, it shows no influence from the mainland of Asia.

Behind me is Naiku, the Inner Shrine, where the Sun Goddess Amaterasu Omikami is enshrined.

Now because of how sacred the place is, we're not allowed to film beyond these stairs.

And that was our two-day trip to the Shima Peninsula.

I hope this video has been enjoyable and perhaps even inspires some ideas should you decide to plan a trip to the Shima Peninsula.

Those staying in the Kansai region can consider adding an overnight trip to Nara, which is accessible by Kintetsu Railway and covered by the same rail paths used in this video.