Modern Ise began with small settlements that sprung up around the two shrines. During the Edo period, Ise was a popular destination for pilgrimages which were called "o-Ise-mairi" (literally, "Coming to Ise") and thus these settlements grew larger and developed into small villages. The village around the Inner Shrine was named Uji and the village around the Outer Shrine was named Yamada. Because of the religious importance of Ise Grand Shrine, the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period viewed the area as politically significant and installed a magistrate in Yamada.