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| Capital | Tsu |
| Region | Kinki |
| Island | Honshū |
| Governor | Akihiko Noro |
| Area | 5,776.44 km² (25th) |
| - % water | 0.7% |
| Population (January 1, 2003) | |
| - Population | 1,863,815 (23rd) |
| - Density | 323 /km² |
| Districts | 7 |
| Municipalities | 29 |
| ISO 3166-2 | JP-24 |
| Website | www.pref.mie.jp/ ENGLISH/ |
| Prefectural Symbols | |
| - Flower | Iris (Iris ensata) |
| - Tree | Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) |
| - Bird | Snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) |
 Symbol of Mie Prefecture |
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Mie Prefecture (三重県 Mie-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kinki region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.
Contents |
History
Present-day Mie Prefecture covers an area that formerly comprised the provinces Ise, Shima, and Iga as well as a portion of eastern Kii. This area was organized and reorganized repeatedly at the time of the Meiji Restoration, but in 1871 the area from the Kisosansen rivers 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 Yokkaichi, 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 on his way back from conquering the eastern regions.
Geography
Mie Prefecture forms the eastern part of the Kii Peninsula, and is bordered by Aichi, Gifu, Shiga, Kyoto, Nara, and Wakayama. It is considered part of the Kinki region, but it is close to Nagoya and has a number of suburbs of Nagoya. Most of the prefecture is mountainous, with a populous coastal plain along Ise Bay in the northeast, and high mountains along the southern coast, the Shima Peninsula, and the western border with the rest of Kinki, including a high plateau around Iga near Nara. As of 2000 Mie Prefecture's 5,776.44 km² landmass is divided into 64.8% forest, 11.5% agriculture, 6% residential area, 3.8% roads, and 3.6% rivers. The remaining 10.3% are not classified.
Cities
Fourteen cities are located in Mie Prefecture:
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district.
Mergers
(as of Jan 10, 2006)
- October 1, 2004
- All five towns from Shima District (Ago, Daiō, Hamajima, Isobe, Shima) merged to form Shima City. Shima District was dissolved as a result of this merger.
- November 1, 2004
- December 6, 2004
- The city of Kuwana, and the towns of Nagashima and Tado from Kuwana District merged to form the city of Kuwana.
- January 1, 2005
- The city of Matsusaka; the towns of Ureshino and Mikumo from Ichishi District; and Iinan District merged to form the city of Matsusaka. Iinan District was dissolved as a result of this merger.
- January 11, 2005
- The city of Kameyama and the town of Seki from Suzuka District merged to form the city of Kameyama. Suzuka District was dissolved as a result of this merger.
- February 7, 2005
- The town of Kusu in Mie District merged into the city of Yokkaichi.
- February 14, 2005
- the towns of Kisei and Ōmiya and the village of Ōuchiyama from Watarai District merged to form the new town of Taiki.
- October 1, 2005
- The towns of Nansei and Nantō from Watarai District merged to form the new town of Minami-ise.
- The towns of Kiinagashima and Miyama from Kitamuro District merged to form the new town of Kihoku.
- November 1, 2005
- The city of Kumano and the town of Kiwa from Minamimuro District merged to form the city of Kumano.
- The city of Ise and the towns of Futami and Obata and the village of Misono from Watarai District merged to form the city of Ise.
- January 1, 2006
- The cities of Tsu and Hisai and the districts of Age and Ichishi merged to form the city of Tsu. Age District and Ichishi District were both dissolved as a result of this merger.
- The municipalities of Seiwa and Taki from Taki District merged to form the town of Taki.
- January 10, 2006
- The municipalities of Ōdai and Miyagawa from Taki District merged to form the town of Ōdai.
- The municipalities of Kihō and Udono from Minaminuro District merged to form the town of Kihō.
Economy
Mie's manufacturing industry specializes in transport machinery, such as ships and cars, and chemicals, particularly oil refining. Agricultural products include tea, beef, and pearls.
Demographics
Culture
Tourism
Famous Places
- Ise Grand Shrine - Japan's holiest Shinto shrine.
- Kumano Kodō - World Heritage Site. Ancient road in southern Mie once used by pilgrims.
- Iga-Ueno - Birthplace of the ninja.
- Sakakibara Onsen - Famous onsen near Tsu. Rumored to be the 3rd best onsen in Japan.
- Yunoyama Onsen - Famoun onsen near Yokkaichi that sits atop Mount Gozaisho.
- Nagashima Spa Land - One of the largest amusement parks in Japan, located in Kuwana.
- Mikimoto Pearl Island - Museum in Toba that is dedicated to Kōkichi Mikimoto, inventor of pearl cultivation.
- The Wedded Rocks of Okitama Shrine in Futami (now part of the city of Ise)
- Suzuka Circuit - Japan's most famous racetrack.
Famous Citizens
Famous Products
- Akafuku, 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.
Sister States
External links
- Mie Prefecture official homepage
- Kanko Mie tourist information
- Outdoor Japan - Section Mie
- Mie International Exchange Foundation
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| Cities | Iga · Inabe · Ise · Kameyama · Kumano · Kuwana · Matsusaka · Nabari · Owase · Shima · Suzuka · Toba · Tsu (capital) · Yokkaichi |   |
| Districts | Inabe · Kita-Muro · Kuwana · Mie · Minami-Muro · Taki · Watarai | |
| See also Towns and villages in Mie Prefecture by district | ||
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