Editing Mie Prefecture (section)

== History ==
[[File:Naiku 01.JPG|thumb|left|Ise Shrine]]
{{See also|Historic Sites of Mie Prefecture}}
Until the [[Meiji Restoration]], the area that is now Mie Prefecture was made up of [[Ise Province]], [[Shima Province]], [[Iga Province]], and part of [[Kii Province]].<ref>Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 780|page=780}}</ref>

Evidence of human habitation in Mie dates back more than 10,000 years. During the [[Jōmon period|Jōmon]] and [[Yayoi period|Yayoi]] periods, agricultural communities began to form along the river and coastal areas of the region. [[Ise Shrine]] is said to have been established during the Yayoi period, and in the 7th century the [[Saikū|Saikū Imperial Residence]] was built in what is now [[Meiwa, Mie|Meiwa Town]] to serve as both a residence and administrative centre for the [[Saiō]], an Imperial Princess who served as High Priestess of Ise Shrine.

During the [[Edo period]], the area now known as Mie Prefecture consisted of several [[feudalism in Japan|feudal]] domains, each ruled by an appointed lord. Transport networks, including the Tokaido and Ise Roads, were built. Port towns such as Ohminato, [[Kuwana, Mie|Kuwana]] and Anōtsu, posting stations and castle towns flourished. Pilgrimages to Ise Shrine also became very popular.

After the [[Meiji Restoration]], the former provinces of Ise, Shima and Iga as well as a portion of eastern [[Kii Province|Kii]], were organized and reorganized repeatedly. In 1871, the area from the [[Kiso Three Rivers]] in the north to present-day [[Tsu, Mie|Tsu]] became Anōtsu Prefecture, and the area south of that became Watarai Prefecture. In 1872, the Anōtsu prefectural seat moved from Tsu to [[Yokkaichi]], and the prefecture itself was renamed Mie. For a variety of reasons, including the strong likelihood that Mie would eventually merge with Watarai, the prefectural seat returned to Tsu the following year, and Mie Prefecture took its present-day form in 1876, when it merged with its southern neighbor.

The name Mie supposedly was taken from a comment about the region made by [[Yamato Takeru]] on his way back from conquering the eastern regions.

In 1959, many people died as parts of Mie were devastated by the [[Typhoon Vera (1959)|Ise-wan Typhoon]], the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in recorded history. Crops were destroyed, sea walls ruined, roads and railways damaged and a substantial number of people were injured or left homeless.

In May 2016, the city of [[Shima, Mie|Shima]] hosted the [[42nd G7 summit]], the third summit without the presence of [[Russia]].