Sakatejima Island
Easily reachable via a ten-minute ferry ride from Toba, Sakatejima allows visitors to experience the relaxed pace and beautiful scenery of Ise-Shima’s outlying islands in a half-day trip. Toba’s closest island is known for its beautiful purple irises (Iris laevigata), which bloom from mid-May through to the beginning of summer. Legend has it that Princess Yamatohime-no-Mikoto brought the first iris here from Nara. The princess is said to have established Ise Jingu, the most important jinja (Shinto shrine) complex in Japan.
In summer, visitors can also enjoy swimming in the waters of Sakatejima's beaches.