Mie Prefecture

Located in just about the center of the Japanese archipelago, in the eastern part of the Kinki region. The prefecture extends in a long, narrow shape from north to south, facing out onto Ise Bay at the northeast and the Kumano Sea at the southeast. Its current boundaries encompass the former provinces of Ise, Iga, Shima, and part of Kii. The prefectural capital is Tsu. The area developed as the home of Ise Jingu Shrine, which is dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the ancestral deity of the imperial family, and in the Edo period (1603–1868), Ise Mairi (Ise pilgrimages) became very popular. The area had flourishing trade with other countries as well, and merchants from Ise advanced to large cities including Edo and Osaka. In the Meiji period (1868–1912) when Yokkaichi Port was designated an open port, many modern industries developed here, and the textile industry in particular flourished. Blessed with a natural environment of seas and mountains, fishing and agriculture industries thrived, as well.

  The techniques of freediving female ama divers in Toba and Shima who harvest shellfish and other marine products have been designated a Nationally Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The prefecture is also home to a number of the most spectacular sightseeing destinations in Japan, including, first and foremost, Ise Grand Shrine, as well as the historic Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, a World Heritage Site, and the Shima Peninsula’s rias coastline. The local cuisine is famous for dishes including Ise ebi (spiny lobster), Matsusaka beef, and Ise udon (extra-thick and soft udon noodles). The prefectural flower is the hana-shobu (Japanese iris), the prefectural tree, Jingu-sugi (large Cryptomeria cedars growing on the grounds of the Ise Jingu Shrine), and the prefectural bird, the shiro-chidori (Kentish plover).