Mie Prefecture

Mie Prefecture is located roughly in the centre of Japan, extending over long area of land extending from north to south. It covers an area of 5,774km2, accounting for 1.55% of the total area of Japan, and is ranked 25th in prefecture size. The total length of the coastline of the prefecture is about 1,140km, ranking Mie Prefecture 7th in Japan (as of 1990).
Number of municipalities : 66 (01/Dec/2003)
Capital city : Tsu:
Total population :1,861,257 (01/Oct/2002)
When the prefecture is viewed in terms of nature and type, it can be largely divided into 4 areas of Ise, Shima, lga and Kishu.
Ise has mountains such as Yoro, Suzuka and Nunobiki in the west and the Ise Plain that extends around Ise Bay in the east. The coast features a sandy beach which is known as a Tokai type climate.
lga is surrounded by the Nunobiki mountain range in the east and the Kasagi mountain range in the west, forming the Ueno Basin, which is an inland type climate. Shima and Kishu are in the Kuroshio (Japan) Current zone that links Kyushu and Shikoku, which is a Nankai type climate. The Shima Peninsula is hill shaped and surrounded by a bending coast line.

On the other hand, the Kishu area features Mount Kii, the Kumano Sea and Pacific Ocean beaches. Areas having good natural landscapes and requiring promotion for their protection and use are specified as natural parks. At present,MiePrefecture has 2 national parks, 2 quasi-national parks and 5 prefectural natural parks. The total area of these natural parks is about 205 thousand hectares, accounting for about 35.4% of the total area of the prefecture.
Areas having a good natural environment outside the natural parks and requiring conservation are specified as nature conservation areas. Four areas in the prefecture have been specified as nature conservation areas. For conservation, control and guidance are carried out in accordance with specified actions such as the construction of new buildings and quarrying in the area.
Tourism, Recreation & Culture
Mie is known for the Ise Grand Shrine, the birthplace of ninja and the haiku master Matsuo Basho and for other cultural legacies; it is also a prefecture with modern large scale amusement parks, museums and rich variety of sightseeing areas and resorts.