Visit Mie Prefecture: region of gods and ninja -Pocket guide

Summary of the prefecture of Mie

Located in the heart of the archipelago of Japan, this prefecture is surrounded by famous cities as Nara, Kyoto, and Nagoya so that Mie is often hidden by those 3 big celebrated cities. However, Mie has a lot of charms and abounds in magnificent sites.
With the sea of outstanding beauty and mysterious mountains which is also spritual holy site of Shintoism, a new discovery is waiting for you.

Interesting sites 
 

- Iga-Ueno【Ninja village】（in the north)：The old province of Iga is known for the shool of Ninjutsu. Iga-ueno is the one that we call litterally in Japanese, a city-castle where the ninja lives, a forest for the training of ninja and many events organized in honour of this culture which will delight the ninja enthusiasts.

‐ The Ise shrine【visite of the temples of Ise】（in the east)：The sanctuary which is the most important for the Shintoism whorships the supreme gods. Since the millennia, to visit the shrine of Ise Jingu is very appreciated and popular. Before entering in the shrine, you will see a small town of Oharai machi and the commercial district.

- The national park of Ise shima  【Ise, Shima, Toba】（in the east) ：It is known that there were the G7 summit in 2016. This national park has a beautiful landscape of the island. 

- Kumanokodou【the world heritage】（in the south）：The park Yoshino Kumano astride the border of the prefecture of Nara, Wakayama and Mie. There is a shirine Hananoiwaya, known as the oldest in Japan.

‐ Maruyamasenmaida（in the south）: Known as the most beautiful landscape of the rice field in Japan, constituted by more than 1000 terraced rice fields.

Gourmet

- Matsusaka beef（city of Matsusaka）：It is the speciality of the city of Matsusaka (Mie). It is considered as one of the 3 best beefs of Japan. Sendai Wagyu in Japanese. It is called as "the art piece of the meats". 

- Ise-ebi（city of Ise）lobster du Japon：The name came from the abundance of the many variation of lobsters in the bay of Ise.

- Akafukumochi (city of Ise)：In the neibourhood of the Ise Jingu, there is a store of Mochi (Akafuku) which exists since 300 years ago. The speciality is called Akafukumochi, a Japanese sweet made by the rice paste and red beans ("an" in Japanese). It is today very famous as a regional "omiyage" (souvenir in Japanese).

-The udon of Ise (city of Ise）：It is the very thick noodles, and the regional speciality. They are eaten with the sauce of soja lightly sweeten.

Artisanale speciality

- Iga yaki：It is a style of Japanese traditional pottery which is very solid and very fire-resistant existing since the Middle Age. We can find the teapots and donabes (kind of cooking pot) of this art.

- Kumihimo of Iga (Japanese braiding)：This handicraft is used for the instruments of Shinto and Buddhist, the katana, the armours of samurai, and also for the numerous decorations. In the film of animation "Kimi no na wa", there is a scene described about this art.

‐ Shinju the culture of pearl：The bay of Toba is the place where the culture of pearl has been started. This is the island where the pearl Mikimoto was born and the name of the brand Mikimoto which became famous in the world. You can also see the Ama, the apnoea women divers who pick up the seafoods in a traditional way of thousand of years old. 

Attractions

- Visite Suzuka speedway ：The best circuit of formula 1 of Japan. The sacred place of the racing sports. 

- Nagashima resort（Nagashima spa land and Nabana no sato）：Spa land is a park of comosed themes with onsen and attractions. In the Nabana no sato, you will find wonderful flower gardens in summer, in autumn, and in winter, it is covered by sumptuous illuminations.

- Ise ninja Kingdom：This is a park based on the history of the period of Sengoku jidai (period of the civil wars). A time-slip in the past of the century of samurai.
Events / festivals

-Iga-Ueno NINJA festival (city of Iga-Ueno/ from 27 of April to 5th of June 2019)：The ninja village recreated by the inhabitants of the city to polish the image. The number of participants increase every year. We can find many events related the topic of ninja.
  - Ueno-tenjin festival from 18th to 20the of October 2019　（village of Iga-Ueno) : The old tradition of more than 400 years, the parade of sumptuous mikoshi (miniature temples that they bring and they march with in the quarters when the festivals and Shinto ceremony) takes place. At the back of them, a parade of the people disguised as demons, musiciens and floats follows. It is like a scrolled painting ("emakimono" in Japanese) which tells a story. 
Activities

- Ninja workshop, ninja training experience【Iga-Ueno】：Throwing shuriken in the ancient houses of ninja of Iga-Ueno and discovering the tips of ninjutsu and hidden sites of ninja. Then we go out from the city to be in the mountains for the training of ninja in the heart of the magnificent manture where the ninja trained themseleves in the old days.

- Kayak and canoe【Ise, Toba, Shima】：The most beautiful Rias coast of Japan where you find innumerable islands and water activities around them. We can also enjoy the landscape by walking or by bicycle.

- Walking in Kumano Kodo 【Kumano】：The road of Kumano kodo located in the prefecture of Mie is not very long but we can find the oldest temple of Japan: Hananoiwaia jinja where we feel an unique spiritual power. Moreover, the heart of the roads of Kumano kodo located in the Wakayama prefecture is not far from there.

Click here to discover our excursions from Kyoto.

Click here to discover our excursion in Iga (Ninja workshop )and Wazuka 

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