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Ise-Shima NP, Mie
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Kasaragi Pond’s heart-shaped outline earned “Lover’s Sanctuary” recognition in 2015. At the overlook, visitors can ring a vow bell or leave heart-shaped love locks—a romance ritual built around a shape made by nature.
In winter, rows of nets for cultivating aosa (green laver) appear in Kasaragi Pond, the heart-shaped inlet below the observatory. This romantic outline is also working water: a local seaweed farm.
A 2025 Minami-Ise star project traced the town mascot into “Taimy-za,” a home-grown star pattern visible from Mieshima. Its heart-shaped belly points to red Betelgeuse; even 4th-magnitude stars show clearly here.
Visible offshore, Mieshima Island is protected for its warm-climate plants and rock martins. The birds nest and overwinter in wave-cut caves; records from the habitat’s natural-monument designation counted about 100 wintering martins.
