is a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

located in the Kansai region of

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...

to the north, Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture to the northwest,

Nara Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama P ...

to the west, Wakayama Prefecture to the southwest, and

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

to the east. Tsu is the capital and

Yokkaichi is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 310,259 in 142162 households and a population density of 1500 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Yokkaichi is located in north-central ...

is the largest city of Mie Prefecture, with other major cities including Suzuka, Matsusaka,

Ise Ise may refer to: Places *Ise, Mie, a city in Japan **Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie *Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria *Ise, Norway, a village in Norway *Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan *River Ise, a tributary of the R ...

, and

Kuwana is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 141,045 in 60,301 households and a population density of 1000 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kuwana is located in northern Mie Pr ...

. Mie Prefecture is located on the eastern coast of the

Kii Peninsula The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is named after the ancient Kii Province. Overview The area south of the “ Central Tectonic Line” is called , and is home to reef-like coral communities which are amongst ...

, forming the western side of

Ise Bay is a bay located at the mouth of the Kiso Three Rivers between Mie and Aichi Prefectures in Japan. Ise Bay has an average depth of and a maximum depth of . The mouth of the bay is and is connected to the smaller Mikawa Bay by two channels: th ...

which features the mouths of the

Kiso Three Rivers The refers to the three major rivers that make up the alluvial plain area of the Nōbi Plain of Japan. The three rivers are the Kiso River, the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Given their location, they are sometimes referred to as the Nōbi Th ...

. Mie Prefecture is a popular

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

destination home to

Nagashima Spa Land is an amusement park in Kuwana, Mie, Japan. It features several roller coasters, thrill rides, and kid rides, a giant Ferris wheel, a water park, and 3 official hotels. As of 2012, Nagashima Spa Land is the 18th most visited amusement park in ...

Suzuka International Racing Course The , more famously known as the , is a long motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Honda Mobilityland, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co, Ltd. It has a capacity of 155,000. Introduction Soichir ...

, and some of the oldest and holiest sites in

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

, the traditional religion of Japan, including the

Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . The Inn ...

and the

Tsubaki Grand Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Yamamoto neighborhood of the city of Suzuka in Mie Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the two shrines which claim the title of ''ichinomiya'' of former Ise Province. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on Oc ...

History

Until the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, the area that is now Mie Prefecture was made up of

Ise Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today includes most of modern Mie Prefecture. Ise bordered on Iga, Kii, Mino, Ōmi, Owari, Shima, and Yamato Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . History The name of Ise appears i ...

Shima Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan which consisted of a peninsula in the southeastern part of modern Mie Prefecture.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shima''" in . Its abbreviated name was . Shima bordered on Ise ...

Iga Province was a province of Japan located in what is today part of western Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Iga" in . Its abbreviated name was . Iga is classified as one of the provinces of the Tōkaidō. Under the ''Engishiki'' cl ...

, and part of Kii Province. Evidence of human habitation in Mie dates back more than 10,000 years. During the Jōmon and Yayoi periods, agricultural communities began to form along the river and coastal areas of the region. Ise Shrine is said to have been established during the Yayoi period, and in the 7th century the Saikū Imperial Residence was built in what is now Meiwa Town to serve as both a residence and administrative centre for the

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Imperial House of Japan, Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise, Mie, Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, , was about 10 km north ...

, an Imperial Princess who served as High Priestess of Ise Shrine. During the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

, the area now known as Mie Prefecture consisted of several

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...

domains, each ruled by an appointed lord. Transport networks, including the Tokaido and Ise Roads, were built. Port towns such as Ohminato,

and Anōtsu, posting stations and castle towns flourished. Pilgrimages to Ise Shrine also became very popular. After the

, the former provinces of Ise, Shima and Iga as well as a portion of eastern Kii, were organized and reorganized repeatedly. In 1871, the area from the

in the north to present-day Tsu became Anōtsu Prefecture, and the area south of that became Watarai Prefecture. In 1872, the Anōtsu prefectural seat moved from Tsu to

, and the prefecture itself was renamed Mie. For a variety of reasons, including the strong likelihood that Mie would eventually merge with Watarai, the prefectural seat returned to Tsu the following year, and Mie Prefecture took its present-day form in 1876, when it merged with its southern neighbor. The name Mie supposedly was taken from a comment about the region made by

Yamato Takeru , originally , was a Japanese semi-legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Emperor Keikō, who is traditionally counted as the 12th Emperor of Japan. His name written in kanji can vary, in the '' Nihon Shoki'' it is spelled 日本武尊 a ...

on his way back from conquering the eastern regions. In 1959, many people died as parts of Mie were devastated by the

Ise-wan Typhoon Typhoon Vera, also known as the , was an exceptionally intense tropical cyclone that struck Japan in September 1959, becoming the strongest and deadliest typhoon on record to make landfall on the country as a Category 5 equivalent storm. Th ...

, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in recorded history. Crops were destroyed, sea walls ruined, roads and railways damaged and a substantial number of people were injured or left homeless. In May 2016, the city of

Shima Shima may refer to: Places , Japan * Shima Province (志摩), one of the old provinces of Japan * Shima, Fukuoka (志摩), a former town in Fukuoka Prefecture * Shima, Mie (志摩), a city in Mie Prefecture ** Shima, Mie (town), a former town ...

hosted the 42nd G7 summit, the third summit without the presence of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Geography

Mie Prefecture forms the eastern part of the

, and borders on Aichi,

Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

Shiga is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Pr ...

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

, and

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: *Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan *Wakayama (city), the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan *Wakayama Station, a train station in Wakayama, Wakayama *Wakayama University , or , is a national university loc ...

. It is considered part of the

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...

and Tōkai regions due to its geographical proximity to

and its cultural influence from

, such as the fact that

Kansai dialect The is a group of Japanese dialects in the Kansai region (Kinki region) of Japan. In Japanese, is the common name and it is called in technical terms. The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka are known as , and were particularly referred to as suc ...

is spoken in Mie. Traditionally, though, the

Iga Iga may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ambush at Iga Pass, a 1958 Japanese film * Iga no Kagemaru, Japanese manga series * Iga, a set of characters from the Japanese novel '' The Kouga Ninja Scrolls'' Biology * ''Iga'' (beetle), a gen ...

region of Mie is considered to have always been a part of

. Mie Prefecture measures from north to south, and from east to west, and includes five distinct geographical areas: # the north-west of Mie consists of the Suzuka Mountains # along the coast of

from the Aichi border to Ise City lies the Ise Plain, where most of the population of Mie live # south of the Ise Plain is the

Shima Peninsula The region of Japan, also called the , refers to the areas of eastern Mie Prefecture in or around Ise-Shima National Park, which include the cities Ise, Toba, Shima, and parts of the town of Minami-Ise. The area thrives on tourism, with many reso ...

# bordering

in the central-west is the Iga Basin # running from central Mie to its southern borders is the Nunobiki Mountainous Region. Ise Shima Skyline DSC5445

Mie has a coastline that stretches and, as of 2000, Mie's landmass is 64.8 percent

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

, 11.5 percent

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

, 6 percent residential area, 3.8 percent

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

s, and 3.6 percent

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

s. The remaining 10.3 percent are not classified. The Ise Plain has a relatively moderate climate, averaging for the year. The Iga Basin has more daily temperature variance and averages temperatures 1 to 2 degrees cooler than the Ise Plain. Southern Mie, south of the

, has a warmer Pacific marine climate, with Owase Region having one of the heaviest rainfall figures for all of Japan. 36% of the total area of the prefecture comprised designated Natural Parks, namely: * Ise-Shima National Park *

Yoshino-Kumano National Park is a national park comprising several non-contiguous areas of Mie, Nara, and Wakayama Prefectures, Japan. Established in 1936, the park includes Mount Yoshino, celebrated for its cherry blossoms, as well as elements of the UNESCO World Herita ...

Murō-Akame-Aoyama Quasi-National Park is a List of national parks of Japan, Quasi-National Park in Mie Prefecture, Mie and Nara Prefecture, Nara Prefectures of Japan, Prefectures, Japan. It was established in 1970. Places of interest * Mie Prefecture, Mie: , , , * Nara Prefecture, ...

* Suzuka Quasi-National Park * Akame Ichishikyō Prefectural Natural Park *

Ise-no-Umi Prefectural Natural Park is a Prefectural Natural Park on the coast of Mie Prefecture, Japan. Established in 1953, the park spans the municipalities of Suzuka and Tsu. See also * National Parks of Japan * Ise-Shima National Park is a national park in Mie Prefectu ...

Kahadakyō Prefectural Natural Park is a Prefectural Natural Park in central Mie Prefecture, Japan. Established in 1953, the park spans the municipalities of Matsusaka and Taki. See also * National Parks of Japan National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** ...

* Okuise Miyagawakyō Prefectural Natural Park *

Suigō Prefectural Natural Park is a Prefectural Natural Park in northeast Mie Prefecture, Japan. Established in 1953, the park comprises one unified area that spans the borders of the municipalities of Kuwana and Kisosaki. In Heisei 16 (2004), nearly six-and-a-half million v ...

Municipalities

Since 2006, Mie consists of 29

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

: 14 cities and 15

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Mergers

When the modern municipalities were introduced in 1889, Mie initially consisted of 336 municipalities: 1 (by definition: district-level) city and 21

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

with 18

and 317 villages. With the Great Shōwa mergers of the 1950s, the number of municipalities in Mie had dropped to 88 by 1956. The Great Heisei mergers of the 2000s reduced the total from 69 to 29 between 2000 and 2006.

Economy

Mie Prefecture has traditionally been a link between east and west Japan, thanks largely to the Tokaido and Ise Pilgrimage Roads. Traditional handicrafts such as Iga Braid, Yokkaichi Banko Pottery, Suzuka Ink, Iga Pottery and Ise Katagami flourished. With 65% of the prefecture consisting of forests and with over of coastline, Mie has a long been associated with forestry and seafood industries. Mie also produces

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

cultured pearl Cultured pearls are formed within a cultured pearl sac with human intervention in the interior of productive living molluscs in a variety of conditions depending upon the mollusc and the goals. Just as the same as natural pearls, cultured pearls ...

s and fruit, mainly mandarin oranges. Food production companies include

Azuma Foods Azuma may refer to: Places * Azuma, historical name for eastern Japan, now called Kantō and Tōhoku region * Azuma, Gunma (Agatsuma), former village in Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan * Azuma, Gunma (Sawa), former village in Sawa Dist ...

. Northern Mie is home to a number of manufacturing industries, mainly transport machinery manufacturing (vehicles and ships) and heavy chemical industries such as oil refineries. As well as this, Mie Prefecture is expanding into more advanced industries including the manufacture of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays. In Suzuka, the

Honda Motor Company is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

maintains a factory established in 1960 that built the

Honda Civic The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. Since 2000, the Civic has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Honda Acc ...

, as well as other vehicles.

Demographics

Culture

Universities

*Yokkaichi ** Yokkaichi University ** Yokkaichi Nursing and Medical Care University *Suzuka **

Suzuka International University is a private university in Suzuka, Mie, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while ...

Suzuka University of Medical Science is a private university in Suzuka, Mie, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while ...

Suzuka National College of Technology Suzuka may refer to: * ''Suzuka'' (beetle), a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae * ''Suzuka'' (manga), a Japanese manga and anime series * Suzuka Mountains *Suzuka, Mie, a city in Mie Prefecture, Japan **Suzuka Circuit, a race track ***1000km ...

*Tsu **

Mie University Mie University (三重大学; ''Mie Daigaku'', abbreviated to 三重大 ''Miedai'') is a national university in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, Japan. As with other national universities, Mie University has been a National University Corporation since Apr ...

Mie Prefectural College of Nursing is a public university in Tsu, Mie, Japan.Website
Public universities in Japan Universities and colleges in Mie Prefecture {{mie-university-stub ...

*Matsusaka **

Mie Chukyo University was a private university in Matsusaka, Mie, Japan, established in 1982. Formerly known as Matsusaka University, the school adopted the present name in 2005. Discountined in 2013. History The Mie Chukyo University opened as Matsusaka University ...

*Ise ** Kogakkan University *Toba **

Toba National College of Maritime Technology is one of five maritime colleges in Japan. Established in 1881, it is the oldest continuously-operated national maritime college in the country. Toba maritime programs The programs are of about 4.5 years and an additional 1.5 years of practical ...

Transportation

Rail

JR Central is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...

** Kansai Line (Nagoya-Kameyama) **

Kisei Line The is a railway line that parallels the coastline of the Kii Peninsula in Japan between Mie Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture. The name takes the ''kanji'' characters from the names of the old provinces of and . The line is operated by Cen ...

Sangu Line Sangu may refer to: * Sangu language (Gabon) * Sangu language (Tanzania) * Sanghu, Taplejung, Nepal * Sangu River, Bangladesh * Sangu (armour) ''Sangu'' is the term for the three armour components that protected the extremities of the samurai cl ...

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

**Kansai Line (Kameyama-Nara) **

Kusatsu Line The is a railway line in western Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It connects Tsuge on the Kansai Main Line with Kusatsu on the Biwako Line (Tōkaidō Main Line). History The Kansai Railway Co. opened the entire line ...

(

Tsuge Station is a junction passenger railway station of the West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) located in the city of Iga, Mie, Japan. Lines Tsuge Station is served by the Kansai Main Line and is located 79.9 rail kilometers from the terminus of the li ...

) *

Kintetsu ''Kintetsu'' is the abbreviation of , or Kintetsu Railway, a Japanese railway corporation. It may also refer to: Companies * Kintetsu Group Holdings, the holding corporation of the Kintetsu Railway ** Kintetsu Bus, a bus company and a subsidiary ...

** Nagoya Line ** Osaka Line ** Yamada Line **

Toba Line The is a railway line operated by the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu Railway, connecting Ujiyamada Station in Ise, Mie with Toba Station in Toba, Mie. The line runs parallel to JR Central's Sangū Line. The line connects with the Y ...

** Shima Line **

Yunoyama Line The is a railway line of the Rail transport in Japan#Major private railways, Japanese private railway company Kintetsu Railway, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station (Yokkaichi, Mie, Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture) and Yunoyama-Onsen Station (Komono, ...

** Uchibe Line ** Hachioji Line **

Suzuka Line The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu Railway, connecting Ise-Wakamatsu Station (Suzuka, Mie) and Hiratachō Station (Suzuka, Mie Prefecture) in Japan. The line connects with the Nagoya Line at Ise-Wakamatsu S ...

Yoro Railway Yoro, with a population of 25,560 (2020 calculation), is the capital city of the Yoro Department of Honduras and the municipal seat of Yoro Municipality. It is notable for a local event known as Lluvia de Peces, where it is claimed that strong ...

* Iga Railway *

Ise Railway The is a Japanese railway line in Mie Prefecture, between Kawarada Station, Yokkaichi, Mie, Yokkaichi and Tsu Station, Tsu, Mie, Tsu. This is the only railway line operates. The company name is abbreviated to . The Public-Private Partnerships In ...

Sangi Railway is a private railway company in Mie Prefecture, Japan, which also operates bus lines. The company was founded in 1928 and its initial line, the Sangi Line, originally functioned as a freight line transporting cement, but in recent years it beca ...

Road

Expressways and toll roads

* East Meihan Expressway * Second Meishin Expressway *

Ise Expressway The is a national expressway in Mie Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. Overview Officially, the route is designated as the Kinki Expressway Ise Route, however this designation does not appear on an ...

* Ise Bayside Expressway *Kisei Expressway * Meihan National Highway *Ise Shima Skyline *Ise Futami Toba Road *Kumano Owase Road

National highways

*Route 1 *Route 23 (Ise-Yokkaichi-Nagoya- Gamagori- Toyohashi) *Route 25 ( Meihan Highway) *Route 42 *Route 163 *Route 164 (Yokkaichi) *Route 165 *Route 167 (Shima-Toba -Ise) *Route 258 *Route 301 *Route 311 *Route 365 *Route 421 *Route 422 *Route 425 (Owase-

Totsukawa is a village located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest village in Japan in terms of area. As of January 2017, the village has an estimated population of 3,488 and a density of 5.2 persons per km2. The total area is ...

- Gobo) *Route 477

Ports

*Yokkaichi Port - International and domestic container and goods hub port *Tsu Port - Hydrofoil ferry route to Centrair airport ( Chubu International Airport) *Matsuzaka Port - Hydrofoil ferry route to Centrair *Toba Port - Ferry route to Ira Cape

Tourism

Notable places

- Japan's holiest Shinto shrine. *

- Japan's oldest Shinto shrine. * Kumano Kodō -

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Ancient road in southern Mie once used by pilgrims. * Iga-Ueno - Birthplace of the

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

and home to the Iga Ninja Museum. * Ise-Shima National Park *

* Tage Kitabatakeshi Yakata - Tage Kitabatake clan fortified residence, one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017. * Sakakibara Onsen - Famous

onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

near Tsu, considered to be the 3rd best onsen in Japan. * Yunoyama Onsen - Famous onsen near Yokkaichi that sits atop

Mount Gozaisho {{nihongo, Mount Gozaisho, 御在所岳, Gozaisho-dake is a Japanese mountain located on the border of Komono, Mie Prefecture and Higashi-Ōmi, Shiga Prefecture. This mountain is the center of Suzuka Quasi-National Park. Outline Mount Gozaish ...

. *

- One of the largest amusement parks in Japan, located in Kuwana. *

Mikimoto Pearl Island is a small island in Ise Bay, offshore Toba, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The island is known as the birthplace of cultured pearl aquaculture. The island is owned by , which operates the island as a tourist attraction, exhibiting pearls and pearl craf ...

- Museum in Toba that is dedicated to

Kōkichi Mikimoto Kōkichi, Kokichi or Koukichi (written: 幸吉, 小吉, 浩吉 or 鋼吉) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese footballer and manager *, Japanese phot ...

, inventor of

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

cultivation. *

The Wedded Rocks , or Married Couple Rocks, are a kind of rock formation seen as religiously significant in Shinto. They are a subtype of Iwakura rock According to Shinto, the rocks represent the union of the creator ''kami'', Izanagi and Izanami. The rocks, th ...

of Okitama Shrine in Futami (now part of the city of Ise) * Suzuka Circuit - Japan's most famous motor racetrack. * Saikū - Site of Heian Imperial residence, with modern museum and reconstructed Heian building. * A large

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...

statue can be found near Kanonji temple which has been the topic of discussion amongst gaming publications.

Notable citizens

* Aoi, guitarist of

The GazettE The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

* Daikokuya Kōdayū, a Japanese castaway who spent eleven years in Russia * Daisuke Kishio, voice actor * Die (musician), guitarist from Dir en grey *

Hakaru Hashimoto was a Japanese doctor and medical scientist of the Meiji period, Meiji and Taishō periods. He is best known for publishing the first description of the disease that was later named Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Biography Hashimoto was born on 5 May ...

, medical scientist *

Hiroshi Okuda Hiroshi Okuda (奥田碩 ''Okuda Hiroshi''; born December 29, 1932 in Mie Prefecture), is the former chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation from 1999 to 2006. Overview He became president of Toyota in 1995 and has worked at the corporati ...

, Chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation, chairman of the

Japan Business Federation The is an economic organization founded in May 2002 by amalgamation of Keidanren (, Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, established 1946; name sometimes used alone as abbreviation for whole organization) and Nikkeiren (, Japan Federatio ...

Hiroyuki Ito , is a Japanese game producer, director and designer who works for Square Enix. He is known as the director of ''Final Fantasy VI'' (1994), ''Final Fantasy IX'' (2000) and ''Final Fantasy XII'' (2006) and as the creator of the Active Time Batt ...

, a video game designer working for

Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...

Jun Maeda is a Japanese writer and co-founder of the visual novel brand Key under Visual Arts. He is considered a pioneer of nakige visual novels, and has mainly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the games the company pr ...

, a Japanese writer and co-founder of the software company

Key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

* Kana Nishino, singer *

Katsuya Okada is a Japanese politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Japan from January to December 2012. A member of the House of Representatives of Japan, he was the President of the Democratic Party (Japan, 2016), Democratic Party, and previously of th ...

, former

Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

, and DPJ Secretary General *

Keiichi Yabu (born September 28, 1968) is a Japanese baseball pitching coach for the Hanshin Tigers and a former baseball pitcher. He played eleven seasons in Japan, and parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics in 2005 and the ...

, relief pitcher for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

Ken Hirai is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and brand ambassador. During his career, Hirai has released 45 singles and nine studio albums as of January 2019.Kenta Nishimoto, professional badminton player *

Kota Sasaki , is a Japanese racing driver who was the 2005 Super GT champion for the GT300 category. He raced a Toyota MR-S with Tetsuya Yamano to win the 2005 title. 2008 Aston Martin Asia Cup season On 13–14 December, Kota Sasaki took the 2008 Aston ...

, racing driver * Mashiho Takata, a member of Korean-Pop boy group

Treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

Matsuo Bashō born then was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative '' haikai no renga'' form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest ma ...

, the most famous poet of the

, renowned for his

haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or se ...

Mikimoto Kōkichi was a Japanese entrepreneur who is credited with creating the first cultured pearl and subsequently starting the cultured pearl industry with the establishment of his luxury pearl company Mikimoto.Ward, Fred. Pearls: Bethesda, MD: Gem Book Pub ...

, founder of the cultured pearl industry * Mitski Miyawaki, Japanese-American singer-songwriter *

Mitsui Takatoshi was the founder of the Mitsui family of merchants and industrialists that later emerged as the Mitsui Group, a powerful Japanese zaibatsu (business conglomerate). Life Mitsui was born in 1622, in Matsusaka, Ise Province (present-day Matsusa ...

, founder of the Mitsui Group * Miwa Asao, beach volleyball player *

Mizuki Noguchi is a Japanese professional long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon event. She is an Olympic champion over the distance. Initially starting out as a track and cross country athlete, her first major success was becoming the Asian c ...

, the gold medalist in the women's marathon event in the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

* Norinaga Motoori, a Japanese scholar of

Kokugaku ''Kokugaku'' ( ja, 國學, label=Kyūjitai, ja, 国学, label=Shinjitai; literally "national study") was an academic movement, a school of Japanese philology and philosophy originating during the Tokugawa period. Kokugaku scholars worked to refo ...

during the

* Norinaga Motoori, scholar of

during the

Ranpo Edogawa , better known by the pen name was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the le ...

, famous mystery novelist * Yasujirō Ozu, famous filmmaker * Yukio Ozaki, a politician said to be the father of Japan's constitutional government

Famous products

Akafuku Akafuku (赤福) is a Japanese pastry shop founded in 1707, during the Edo period. Still active and family-owned, its longevity allows it to be part of the Henokiens. Akafuku first developed as a teahouse for pilgrims going to Ise Grand Shrine. I ...

, a sweet made with mochi and sweet red bean paste * Spiny lobster, known as ''Ise ebi'' (伊勢えび), named after the old province * Matsusaka beef

Government and politics

The prefectural government was briefly moved to Yokkaichi Town in Mie District in 1872 (hence the name Mie), but the capital moved back to Anotsu, Anō District (present-day Tsu City) in 1873 and has remained there since. Ignoring small changes through cross-prefectural municipal mergers, neighbourhood transfers and coastline variations, Mie reached its present borders in 1876 when it absorbed Watarai Prefecture. After the modern reactivation of

in 1878/79, Mie consisted of 21 districts (merged down to 15 in the 1890s). The first prefectural assembly was elected in March 1879 and convened in April. In the introduction of modern cities, towns and villages in 1889, Anotsu became district-independent as Tsu

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and the districts were subdivided into 18

and 317 villages (see the

List of mergers in Mie Prefecture Here is a list of mergers in Mie Prefecture, Japan since the Heisei era. Mergers from April 1, 1999 to Present *On December 1, 2003 - The former town of Inabe absorbed the towns of Daian, Fujiwara and Hokusei (all from Inabe District) were ...

for changes since then). As in all prefectures except Okinawa, the governor of Mie is directly elected since 1947. The prefectural assembly has 51 members. Both prefectural elections in Mie are currently held as part of unified local elections. In the last round in 2019, governor

Eikei Suzuki is a Japanese politician and the former governor of Mie Prefecture located in Kansai region of Japan.LDP, ''Shinsei Mie'' (see below) and

Kōmeitō , formerly New Komeito and abbreviated NKP, is a conservative political party in Japan founded by lay members of the Buddhist Japanese new religious movement Soka Gakkai in 1964. Since 2012, it has served in government as the junior coalitio ...

, against only one,

JCP JCP may refer to: *Java Community Process, a method of handling software requests * J. C. Penney, a United States department store chain *Jenny Craig Pavilion, an arena at the University of San Diego *Jim Crockett Promotions, a former professional ...

-supported challenger; Suzuki was originally elected narrowly in 2011 as centre-right candidate against centre-left supported Naohisa Matsuda, former mayor of Tsu City. In the Mie assembly, the LDP is strongest party; but it is distributed across several parliamentary groups, and the strongest group is ''Shisei Mie'' (新政みえ; "Renewal Mie") around members of several local parties of former Democrats.Prefectural assembly
Members by parliamentary group
(Japanese), retrieved June 24, 2020. In the

National Diet The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (Japan), House of Councillors (, ...

, Mie is represented by four directly elected members of the House of Representatives and two (one per class) in the House of Councillors. After the national elections of 2016, 2017 and 2019, Mie's directly elected delegation was evenly split between Liberal Democrats (HR district #1:

Norihisa Tamura is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare from September 2020 to October 2021. He is also a member of the House of Representatives representing Mie's 4th district since 1996. Early life and education A n ...

, #4: Noriyo Mitsuya, HC 2019–25 class: Yūmi Yoshikawa) and ex-Democrats (HR #2:

Masaharu Nakagawa Masaharu Nakagawa may refer to: *Masaharu Nakagawa (House of Representatives) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. A native of Matsusaka ...

, #3:

, HC 2016–22 class:

Hirokazu Shiba is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). Overview A native of Nabari, Mie and graduate of Kogakkan University, he was elected to the House of Councillor ...

) in both houses of the Diet.

Sister states

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil *

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

, China *

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

, Spain

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

.
OCLC 58053128

External links

Kanko Mie tourist information

{{Authority control Kansai region Prefectures of Japan