English

Mie Prefecture has plains, basin areas and mountainous regions. Due to the diverse geographical nature of the area, the prefecture’s climate has a variety of characteristics. The annual average temperature for the Ise Plain is 15° C which is relatively hot for Japan. The Iga Basin has a typical climate for an inland basin area with large variations in temperature throughout the year. The coast of Kumano, from Owase to Mount Odaigahara, experiences one of the highest levels of rainfall in the country.

Since Ise and Kumano, two major spiritual sites from which Japanese spiritual culture has originated, are situated in Mie Prefecture, Mie has always been closely connected to the central government, and has flourished as a key land and water transportation hub, having a number of main roads and one of the three major ancient ports (known as Nihon Sanshin) of Japan, Anotsu. Consequently, through interactions among different people, goods and ideas, the region has nurtured a rich cultural heritage, which has led to the Prefecture producing many cultural figures, such as Motoori Norinaga, who explored the world view of the Japanese people, and the famous haiku poet Matsuo Basho.

Given Mie’s bountiful nature blessed by its four distinct seasons, diverse agricultural, forestry and fishery industries have been promoted by various people and organizations. Such industries are flourishing in the fertile farmland of the Ise Plain and the Ueno Basin, in the rich fishing grounds in Ise Bay and the Kumano Sea, and in the dense forest extending from the Suzuka Mountains to the Odai Mountain Range.
 
Among the Prefecture’s agricultural, forestry and fishery products, Iga rice, Ise tea, Matsusaka beef, Ise lobster, abalones, oysters, pearls, and Owase hinoki cypress are particularly famous, and greatly contribute to the attractions of Mie Prefecture, along with its long history and rich culture cultivated from ancient times.
In addition, the manufacturing industries, such as the transport equipment, electric equipment and petrochemical industries which have been the major driving force of the Japanese economy, have been developed in the northern area of Mie Prefecture. Many corporations offering advanced technologies to support these industries are also concentrated in this area.
 
Mie is the top prefecture in Japan in terms of the value of manufactured goods shipped per capita in the estimated prefectural economic growth up to 2025 and in the value of manufactured goods shipped in the electronics industry.
 
Furthermore, thanks to its rich natural environment, Mie Prefecture is also famous for its tourist industry, which offers many popular tourist destinations, including the Ise Shrine, Kumano-Kodo, various theme parks, ninja, and ama (female divers).