Meiwa, Mie

For other uses, see Meiwa (disambiguation).

Meiwa 明和町
—  Town  —
Flag
Location of Meiwa in Mie
Meiwa
Coordinates: 34°33′N 136°37′E / 34.55°N 136.617°E / 34.55; 136.617Coordinates: 34°33′N 136°37′E / 34.55°N 136.617°E / 34.55; 136.617
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Mie
District	Taki
Government
- Mayor	Yukimitsu Nakai
Area
- Total	40.92 km2 (15.8 sq mi)
Population (May 2010)
- Total	22,797
- Density	557/km2 (1,442.6/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Inumaki
- Flower	Iris
Phone number	0596-52-7111
Address	945 Daigaku-Umanoue, Meiwa-chō, Taki-gun, Mie-ken 515-0332
Website	Town of Meiwa

Meiwa (明和町, Meiwa-chō^?) is a town located in the Taki District, of central Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.

In 1958, the town of Sanwa and the village of Saimei merged to form the town of Meiwa.

History

Meiwa is best known as the location of the ancient Saikū, residence of the Saiō. A Saiō was an unmarried Imperial princess who, in place of the Emperor, was dispatched to serve as the High Priestess of Ise Grand Shrine. When the emperor ascended the throne, divination was used to choose a Saiō from among the unmarried princesses of the Imperial family. The Saiō would then, after a time of purification, leave the capital in Kyōto to reside at the Saikū, just 10 km northwest of Ise Grand Shrine. The Saiō system began in the latter half of the 7th century and lasted for roughly 660 years, before disappearing during the disturbances of the Nanbokuchō period around the mid 14th century.

Legend relates that 2,000 years ago, the divine Yamatohime-no-Mikoto set out from Mt. Miwa, in Nara Prefecture, in search of the place where the goddess Amaterasu-Ōmikami was enshrined. More than twenty years of travel finally brought her to the goal of her search in Ise. It was from this event that the Saiō system gets its origin, and following upon the example set by Yamatohime-no-Mikoto, it is to women that the responsibility of protecting Amaterasu-Ōmikami has been entrusted.

On her journey, Yamatohime-no-Mikoto traveled down the Kushida River and stopped at Sasafue where she erected a shrine. That shrine remains in Meiwa today as the Sasafue-Angū Ruins. She then set out upon the ocean, which at the time was so calm she named the area Ōyodo (translating roughly to "great stillness"), and founded the Ōyodo Shrine.

According to the Man'yōshū (The Anthology of Ten Thousand Leaves), the first Saiō was the princess Okunohime-miko, daughter of Emperor Temmu. The Saiō was primarily responsible for performing three important Shinto rituals at Ise Grand Shrine. In June and November she would visit the shrine to pray and hold the Tsukinamisai Festivals. The third was the Kannamesai Festival 神嘗祭, held in September, in which she made offerings to the gods of the year's new grain harvest, and of which she herself partook.

During the Edo period the area developed into a thriving agricultural center and post-town, providing lodging to people making the pilgrimage to Ise Grand Shrine. Vestiges of these ancient times are still to be found today.

Transportation

Rail

Kintetsu Yamada Line

(for Osaka, Nagoya )  • Saikū • Myōjō • ( for Ujiyamada)

Bus

Sanco does not operate bus lines to Meiwa, however the town of Meiwa runs a small bus line that connects Myōjō Station and Saikū Station with the Meiwa City Hall and the huge Meiwa Jusco shopping center. Buses run hourly from the stations and only operate between 8:00am and 6:00pm.

Roads

National Routes

• Route 23

Places of interest

• Saikū Historical Museum - This museum is all about the Saiō and her home, Saikū. The highlight is the short films you can see; English earpieces are available. A short walk from Saikū Station.
• Itsukinomiya Historical Experience - Built without the use of modern technology, this building is crafted to resemble the Saiō's ancient residence. There are Heian-style imperial kimono on display that can actually be tried on if you make a reservation in advance. Just outside this building is a small-scale reconstruction of the entire Saikū complex. Located immediately north of Saikū Station.
• Ōyodo Swimming Beach - A small beach in northeastern Meiwa.

Festivals

• Saiō Festival - This is held every year in early June near the Saikū ruins. There is a procession of people clad in old Imperial dress. It treats onlookers to a veritable scene from the ancient picture scrolls of the Imperial Heian court. Following excavations of the Saikū, the Saiō Festival was begun to pacify the souls of the Saiō and the people who had lived there with her. The festival is held for two days under the supervision of a board of organizers on the first weekend of June each year.

• Ōyodo Gion Festival - Several hours of fireworks over Ōyodo harbour, sponsored by local businessess and groups from the Meiwa/Ise/Matsusaka area. Held on the last Saturday of July or the first Saturday of August, the festival involves a number of people pulling a 2 level lanterned cart full of drums and flute players onto a boat and out into the harbour.

Neighbors

Meiwa is bordered by:

• Ise Bay, to the north.
• The city of Ise, to the east.
• The town of Tamaki, to the south.
• The town of Taki, to the southwest.
• The city of Matsusaka, to the west.

External links

Media related to Meiwa, Mie at Wikimedia Commons

• Meiwa official website (Japanese)
• Saiku Historical Museum
• Itsukinomiya Historical Hall (Japanese)
• Meiwa city guide from the Mie Guidebook at Mie JETs
• Meiwa bus timetable (Japanese)