AEG - Mie's Prefecture's Profile

Mie Prefecture Profile

Natural features

Mie is known for the beautiful Rias coast of Shima Peninsula. But it is also blessed with the mountainous beauty of Muroo Akame Aoyama Seminational Park as well as Suzuka Seminational Park. Yoshino Kumano National Park, which straddles the border between Mie and Wakayama Prefectures, never ceases to enthrall those who long for nature. In this district, where streets are always busy with pilgrims to the Ise Shrine from of old, people engaging in the trades with such pilgrims have been so shrewd and successful that the term "Ise-merchant" has become well-known.

Climate and vegetation

The climate of Mie much varies in different localities, for the prefecture is not only long from north to south, but composed of such a wide variety of topography, as the Iga Basin between the mountains, the Ise Plains, and the Sea of Kumano in the south. The Ise Plains have a mild climate with moderate rain, whereas the temperature is a little lower in the Iga Basin. The area facing the Sea of Kumano possesses a warm climate with much rain, owing to the Kuroshio Current, so that you may observe semitropical vegetation there.

Geographical features

Mie is a long-shapen prefecture, situated in the extreme east of the Kinki Districts and bordered by the Chubu Districts. It is divided into the coastal area of the Ise Bay, the Shima Peninsula and the Sea of Kumano, and the mountainous area extending from Yoro, Suzuka, Nunobiki, Takami to Kii. The Kushida River running in the central part cuts the prefecture into halves: the northern is occupied by flatlands--mainly by the Ise Plains, whereas the southern half consists of mountainous regions and Rias coasts.

Man and history

Adjacenct to the Yamato province (the present Nara Prefecture), Mie Prefecture has been civilized since the earlier stage. The Ise Shrine is said to have been built in the reign of Suijin Emperor (in the first century), and the present Imperial family often visits it. It is not too much to say that Ise is a kind of spiritual prop of the Japanese, as is well embodied by the term "Ise-mairi (pilgrimage to the Ise Shrine)". It is another characteristic that the prefecture has produced many great people in various fields, such as Basho Matsuo in haiku poetry, Norinaga Motoori in the study of Japanese classics, and Kokichi Mikimoto who elevated the status of pearl as worldwide jewelry.

Culture and festivals

The big festivals held in the Ise Shrine such as Kinen Festival, Kanmiso Festival, Kanname Festival, and Niiname Festival, are considered to be rather prestigious, and this fully reflects the extra status granted to the Ise Shrine. Shikinensengu Festival, held once in twenty years, is one of the significant events of national attention. The city of Kumano in the south of the prefecture holds Kumano Grand Festival of Fireworks, which has been inherited for more than three hundred years, whereas the city of Ueno in the Ueno Basin holds Ueno Tenjin Festival which is famous for Oni (demon) parade. Thus there are various festivals and events in Mie, which not only remind us of the prefecture's old history, but exert its unique attraction to us.

Industries

There are lots of local specialties such as Kuwana clam, Matsusaka beef, Ise lobster, Ise seaweed, Ise tea, and pearl of Ago Bay. Primary industries are all flourishing. The coastal region on the Ise Bay extending between the cities of Kuwana and Ise is included in the Chubu industrial zone, in which the city of Yokkaichi, among others, develops one of the biggest petrochemical complexes. In addition to these, tourist business is thriving, as is represented by Ise Shrine and Ama (a woman pearl diver) and pearl.

One-point tourist guide

The most representative of the tourist spots in Mie is without doubt the Ise Shrine celebrated for its history of two thousand years. The city of Ise and the whole Shima Peninsula, appointed as a national park, are the pivot of the tourism in Mie. In addition to these, there are countless sights to see, such as the splendid coast of the Sea of Kumano, stretching over the cities of Owase and Kumano in the south of the prefecture, and the beautiful Mountains of Kii. Moreover, spots of distinctive characteristics achieve high popularity, such as Ueno, the inland city of Iga Basin, which is known as the cradle of Iga Ninja, and the city of Nabari famous for the beautiful gorge of Akame.