Mie Prefecture

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Until the Meiji Restoration, the area now known as Mie Prefecture consisted of Ise Province, Shima Province, Iga Province, 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. 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, an Imperial Princess who served as High Priestess of Ise Shrine. During the Edo period, the area consisted of several feudal domains, each ruled by an appointed lord. Transport networks, including the Tokaido and Ise Roads, were built. Port towns such as Ohminato, Kuwana and Anōtsu, posting stations and castle towns flourished. Pilgrimages to Ise Shrine also became very popular. After the Meiji Restoration, the former provinces were reorganized repeatedly. In 1871, the area from the Kiso Three Rivers in the north to present-day Tsu became Anōtsu Prefecture, and the area south of that became Watarai Prefecture. In 1872, Anōtsu was renamed Mie, and in 1876, Mie Prefecture took its present-day form 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. In 1959, many people died as parts of Mie were devastated by the Ise-wan Typhoon, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in recorded history. In May 2016, the city of Shima hosted the 42nd G7 summit.

Reader's Guide

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 1,000 km of coastline, Mie has long been associated with forestry and seafood industries. Mie also produces tea, beef, cultured pearls and fruit, mainly mandarin oranges. 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. Mie is also expanding into advanced industries including the manufacture of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays. In Suzuka, the Honda Motor Company maintains a factory established in 1960 that built the Honda Civic, as well as other vehicles. Notable places include the Ise Grand Shrine, Japan's holiest Shinto shrine; the Tsubaki Grand Shrine, Japan's oldest Shinto shrine; the Kumano Kodō World Heritage Site; Iga-Ueno, birthplace of the ninja; and the Suzuka Circuit, Japan's most famous motor racetrack. The Ise Plain has a relatively moderate climate averaging 14 to 15 °C for the year, while the Iga Basin averages 1 to 2 degrees cooler. Southern Mie has a warmer Pacific marine climate, with Owase Region having one of the heaviest rainfall figures for all of Japan.

Did You Know?

• 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.
• In 1959, the Ise-wan Typhoon, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in recorded history, devastated parts of Mie, causing many deaths.
• The Saikū Imperial Residence was built in the 7th century in what is now Meiwa Town for the Saiō, an Imperial Princess who served as High Priestess of Ise Shrine.
• Mie Prefecture took its present-day form in 1876 when it merged with its southern neighbor, Watarai Prefecture.
• The Owase Region in southern Mie has one of the heaviest rainfall figures for all of Japan.