Ise Grand Shrine
In pre-modern Japan, Meiwa was best known as the location of the ancient Saikū, the residence of the "Saiō," an unmarried Imperial princess who, in place of the Emperor, was dispatched to serve as the High Priestess of Ise Grand Shrine to perform three important Shinto rituals. During the Edo period the area developed into a thriving agricultural center and post-town, providing lodging to people making the pilgrimage to Ise Grand Shrine.