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| National
Parks and Quasi-National Parks in Kansai |
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Ise-Shima
National Park
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The Shima Peninsula commands many fascinating views of
land and sea.
This national park covers an extensive area including the Kyuikirin forest; the
holy precincts of the Ise Shrine, a Shinto shrine historically popular as a center
for pilgrimages; the Shima Peninsula; islands at the mouth of Ise Bay; and the
coast facing the eastern part of the Kumano Nada Sea. |
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| The forest at Ise Shrine, surrounding both the Inner and Outer Shrines, covers
approximately 5,400 hectares. The Isuzu river runs through the forest of the Inner
Shrine and provides habitat for such freshwater fish as carp and Japanese dace.
The Kyuikirin is Japan's largest shrine grove, with natural groves of chinquapin,
oak, and other broadleaf evergreens as well as rare plants such as Chinese witchhazel,
Jingu azalea, and Nagiran cymbidium. The area abounds in wild animals including
deer, boars, Japanese monkeys, and flying squirrels. Also found here are mikado
("emperor") swallowtails, one of the rarest butterfly species found
in Japan and named by its discoverer for the emperor. Ise Shrine is at the northern
end of the butterfly's habitat. |
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| Meotoiwa is the symbol of Futamigaura. |
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East of the shrine and off Futamigaura
beach is Meotoiwa ("wedded rocks"), a place of rare scenic beauty
consisting of two sacred rocks in the sea linked to each other with ropes.
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| The indented Shima Peninsula presents the complex beauty found
in the combination of flat-topped coastal hills and jagged coastlines. The inner
reaches of Ago Bay, where the waters
are calmer, are suited to pearl farming, and the colorful tanpo farmers' rafts
enhance the view. The bay is dotted with islands of various sizes, forming a fascinating
archipelago in itself. |
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| The wave-eroded Ago Bay, characterized by its
jagged coast. |
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| The Daiozaki lighthouse commands a full view
of the Kumano Nada Sea. |
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On the Pacific Ocean side, the Daio Cape is an example of rough
beauty with its fierce, sea-worn cliffs. The village of Nakiri contains the Daiozaki
Lighthouse, from where wide stretches of the Kumano Nada Sea can be viewed,
and Wagu is famous for its ama (women divers) festival. In these villages, traditional
customs and activities continue to be handed down. |
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| At the mouth of Ise Bay are several islands, including Toshi Island, on which
a wild tangerine species called Yamato-tachibana grows, and Kami Island, which
is famous as the setting for MISHIMA Yukio's novel, Shiosai (The Sound of Waves).
The area between the Irago Cape and the Shima Peninsula is known as a passage
for spring and autumn migrations, including Asagimadara and Ichimonjiseseri butterflies,
gray-faced buzzard eagles. |
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| The jagged coastline facing the eastern Kumano Nada sea features mountains
that approach the water and inland sea-lakes such as Zasa Pond and Usuzuki Pond,
which reflect the mountains in their surfaces. The mountains are covered with
broadleaf evergreens that grow in warm climates as well as plantations of Japanese
cedar and cypress trees. A fern species found here is a nationally protected plant.
Shishi Island in Gokasho Bay hosts Honshu's only Hama-jinchoge (beach daphnes),
a tropical seaside saltwater plant and designated as a protected plant by the
prefecture. Hamabo hybiscus grow at the mouth of the Iseji River, blooming yellow
flowers in early summer. In autumn and winter, the tideland is visited by herring
gulls, black-tailed gulls, and Temminck's cormorants. These plants and sea birds
add a poetic charm to each season. |
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