The history of the illustrated book in Japan may be said to begin with the Ise mono gatari, a romance first published in the 10th century, of which an edition adorned with woodcuts appeared in 1608.
The coast is indented by numerous deep bays and fjords; the Ise Fjord in the north, with its branches the Roskilde Fjord on the east and the Lamme Fjord on the west, penetrates inland for about 25 m.
It lies on the declivity of a hill near the junction of the Ise with the Nene, in a pleasant well-wooded district.