was a

town 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 ...

located in Kitamuro District,

Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture to ...

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 ...

. As of 2003, the town had an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 9,963 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...

of 68.08 persons per km². The total area was 146.35 km². On October 11, 2005, Miyama, along with the town of Kiinagashima (also from Kitamuro District), was merged to create the town of Kihoku. Miyama, now Kihoku, is in the south of Mie Prefecture. The

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 ...

Kumano Kodo literally means 'Bear Field'. It is a name adopted by various places in Japan. * Kumano Shrine * Kumano Shrines Grand Shrines * Kumano Kodō, ancient pilgrimage routes * Kumano Region * Kumano River * Kumano, Mie, a city in Mie Prefecture * Ja ...

is located in the former town of Miyama. "Kumano" stands for the city's name. "Kodo" means an old street which is laid along mountain. Miyama is known for its fresh fish. The most well-known

local food Local food is food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket system. Local food (or "locavore") movements aim to co ...

saury sushi The saury (''Cololabis adocetus'') is a species of fish (not to be confused with the Pacific saury, another species in the genus ''Cololabis'') which is a member of the family Scomberesocidae, or the saury family. It is widespread in the Eastern P ...

External links

Official website of Kihoku

Dissolved municipalities of Mie Prefecture {{Mie-geo-stub