Please come to Ise-Shima, where the summit will be held! (Special feature on the 70th anniversary of Ise-Shima National Park designation)

Ise-Shima National Park, which straddles IseCity, TobaCity, ShimaCity, and MinamiiseTown in Mie Prefecture, celebrated its 70th anniversary as a national park on November 20, 2016.

Ise-Shima National Park is characterized by its beautiful ria coastline, and the complex waters are popular for cultivating pearls and oysters. Ama fishing, which involves catching seafood such as spiny lobster and abalone, and seaweed, also developed. The national park also includes IseJingu, which has a long history.

The 42nd Summit of Developed Countries (IseShimaSummit) was held in Ise-Shima on May 26th and 27th, and it received attention both domestically and internationally. Many people still visit Ise-Shima to see where the summit will be held. I would like to introduce Ise-Shima, which is currently a hot spot for holding a summit.

(Article cooperation: Ise Shimbun)

IseJingu (IseCity)
IseJingu has been popularly known as "Oise-san" since ancient times. The official name is "Jingu". According to the Nihon Shoki, about 2,000 years ago the imperial ancestor Amaterasu-Omikami was enshrined at the site of the current Kotaijingu (Naiku), and about 500 years later, Toyouke Omikami, who was in charge of Amaterasu-Omikami 's meals Toyouke-no-Omikami was invited, and Toyouke-daijingu (Geku) was established. Amaterasu-Omikami is revered as the guardian deity of the Japanese nation and people, and Toyouke-no-Omikami is revered as the protector of food, clothing, shelter, and industry.

On May 26th, in advance of IseShimaSummit, the leaders of various countries visited IseJingu Naiku. Nine leaders, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Obama, proceeded from the shrine to the innermost sacred area, known as Okinai, to pay their deepest respects. In the notes written by the leaders after their visit, there are descriptions praising the shrine, such as ``a sacred place that has brought healing and peace for generations (President Obama)'', and it is said that the shrine is a place where Japan's ancient gods reside, and that it is a place where the gods of Japan dwell, and who hope to bring peace to the world. I can see how they prayed for prosperity.

The area along the approach in front of Naiku is called ``Oharaimachi'' and retains an old, historical landscape. It is lined with souvenir shops, sweets shops, and food stalls, and is crowded with people even on weekdays. The main store of Akafukumochi, which is popular nationwide, and the corner of Okage-yokocho that extends from the front of the store are the busiest. On the other hand, the approach to the shrine in front of Geku has a quaint streetscape. Restaurants, souvenir shops, etc. line the approximately 400 meters from the Otorii gate in front of IseCity Station to Geku, providing hospitality to visitors to the shrine.

After visiting the shrine, enjoy walking around Ise and enjoy the taste of Mie and the atmosphere of Ise.
Photo: Official photo shoot of the leaders participating in the summit held in front of Naiku Main Shrine (provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Transportation information / Geku: Approximately 10 minutes walk from Kintetsu/JR IseCity Station
　　　　　・ Naiku: About 10-15 minutes by bus from Kintetsu/JR IseCity Station　　　　　　

MikimotoPearlIsland, the birthplace of pearl farming (TobaCity)
This is the island KokichiMikimoto from TobaCity succeeded in cultivating pearls for the first time in the world in 1893. He took on the challenge of artificially producing pearls, which was said to be impossible at the time, and after much hardship, spending almost all of his assets, he was able to produce five cultured pearls. The cultured pearls that he created through painstaking efforts fascinated many women around the world, and KokichiMikimoto became known as the ``Pearl King.''

MikimotoPearlIsland has easy-to-understand exhibits and explanations about the history of pearl farming and how pearls are made. During IseShimaSummit, it served as the venue for the Spouses Program, and was visited by Prime Minister Akie Abe and other spouses of leaders.
Photo: Spouses of leaders listening to explanations about the pearl farming process at the Summit Spouses Program (provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Transportation information MikimotoPearlIsland About 5 minutes walk from Kintetsu/JR Toba Station

Shima Kanko Hotel Beautiful scenery of Ago Bay (ShimaCity)
This hotel was the main venue for IseShimaSummit. It consists of three buildings: ``The Classic,'' which has existed since the company's founding, ``The Bay Suite,'' which is an all-suite room, and the old building ``Club.'' Over the two days of the summit, the facilities in each building are used to host meetings, lunches, dinners, etc. Various events were held. Some parts, such as the round table used for meetings and the plate used for commemorative photos, remain as they were at the time.

The hotel is located on a hill on Kashiwajima Island in Ago Bay, offering a panoramic view of the rias coastline.
The highlight of the hotel is the French restaurant ``La Mer,'' which serves luxurious cuisine made with high-quality ingredients from Ise-Shima. The signature menu items are ``Abalone Steak'' and ``Ise Shrimp Cream Soup.'' Among them, ``Ise lobster cream soup'' was something that shocked Prime Minister Abe when he ate it as a child, and it was also served to the leaders of various countries at the summit working dinner.
Photo: Leaders of various countries attending a meeting with the beautiful scenery of Ago Bay in the background (at Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suite) (Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Transportation information Shima Kanko Hotel About 10 minutes walk from Kintetsu Kashijima Station

Ama culture Shima Peninsula (TobaCity, ShimaCity) has the largest number of Ama divers in Japan
The Shima Peninsula, which straddles TobaCity and ShimaCity, is the region with the largest number of ama divers in Japan. Statistics for 2010 confirm that there were 973 ama divers. Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, which ranks second in the country, has 197 people, so the number is overwhelming.

Ama fishing is a fishing method in which fish and seaweed are caught by free diving, and a large amount of catch can be caught in a short period of about 50 seconds each time. Therefore, overfishing is not possible, and the resources are thoroughly protected, such as by setting fishing seasons among ama divers and making strict agreements not to catch fish and shellfish below a certain size. This fishing method is also attracting attention from the point of view of environmental protection.

Along the coasts of TobaCity and ShimaCity, facilities called `` AmaHut（Amagoya）'' are gaining popularity, where you can eat fresh seafood such as spiny lobster and abalone that are grilled right in front of your eyes by ama divers. AmaHut（Amagoya）is a place where ama divers change their clothes and make a bonfire after fishing.It is a place where ama divers can grill freshly caught seafood and have fun chatting while making a bonfire. The `` AmaHut（Amagoya）Experience'' allows tourists to enjoy this experience as well. This experience, where you can eat delicious freshly grilled seafood while having fun chatting with the ama divers, has become popular, and now many tourists come from far and wide.
The season for oysters and spiny lobsters is about to start. Please come and try it.

Photo: AmaHut（Amagoya）(osatsu cho TobaCity)
Introduction to AmaHut（Amagoya）in TobaCity and ShimaCity

*This article is a reprint of an article created by Ise Shimbun and published in the Nagasaki Shimbun "Special Issue on the 70th Anniversary of Ise-Shima National Park Designation."​

Click here for other articles related to the 70th anniversary of Ise-Shima National Park designation.

・The activities of the shrine and the forest of the shrine are the original scenery of Japan that has continued since ancient times. Haruo Nakano

・Experience the “extraordinary life” of Ise-Shima through ecotourism Shun Shigeno

・Scenery of MinamiiseTown

・Takahisa Ezaki, an eco-tourist who conveys the wonders of primary industry

・Ise-Shima National Park Ecotourism/Nature Experience Tourist Map

*The content posted is information as of November 2016.