Kuwana

Kuwana is a municipal center in Mie Prefecture that spreads where three rivers meet and flow into Ise Bay, forming a wide delta. The waterfront areas shift between industrial zones along the water, residential quarters inland, and farming patches near the river mouths.

The settlement started as a small village in the tenth century and grew into a trading port between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. Local rulers encouraged the exchange of ceramics and metalwork with other regions along the coast.

The name derives from an old word for mulberry tree, once crucial for silk cultivation and still visible in street names and local symbols today. Visitors notice small shrines along the riverbanks where fishermen and craftsmen stop before journeys.

The city can be explored on foot or by bicycle, with main streets and river paths providing clear orientation. Many workshops and markets lie within walking distance from the train station and open during daytime for visitors.

Seaweed grows at the river mouth and is cultivated in shallow pools, harvested by hand, then hung on wooden frames to dry. Local clams are considered a delicacy and sold fresh at small stalls right along the shore.

Location: Mie Prefecture

Inception: April 1, 1937

Shares border with: Yokkaichi, Inabe, Asahi, Kawagoe, Toin, Kisosaki, Aisai, Yatomi, Kaizu

Website: https://city.kuwana.lg.jp

GPS coordinates: 35.06219,136.68367

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:04