Although
not exactly isolated, Ise Shrine is located some distance from the historical
centers of Japanese civilization. It is fifty miles east of the Yamato
region, the original home of the imperial clan which established it. This
map shows the road network in about the eighteenth century, by which time
Ise had become a popular religious attraction as much as a private imperial
shrine, and drew hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year. Even today,
it is said that every Japanese should visit Ise at least once in their
life.