Arrive in Ise, a city in Mie Prefecture long known as the gateway to the Grand Shrine and a hub of local culture. As evening sets in, meet your guide and head into the side streets and drinking alleys that locals frequent after dark.

Visit three separate bars, each with its own character. At each stop, order drinks and food from the menu, paying for your own consumption directly at the venue. Your guide helps you navigate the ordering process, points out what’s worth trying, and keeps the evening moving.

By the time you reach the third venue, work your way through a cross-section of Ise’s local bar culture — from standing bars to small izakayas — building a picture of how residents actually spend their evenings here. Leave with a grounded sense of the city beyond its famous shrines, having drunk and eaten your way through three distinct corners of its nightlife.