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Ise-Shima NP, Mie
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Seen from Mieshima Viewpoint, Kasaragi-ike forms a heart—and the shape looks clearer at high tide. The distinctive view helped the viewpoint earn Lover’s Sanctuary status in April 2015.
In Minami-Ise’s mascot story, Taimii was born at the Heart-Shaped Inlet. Its face represents a local mikan, its body a sea bream, and its little pouch is shaped like the town flower, cherry blossom.
On nearby Mieshima Island, iwatsubame swallows nest and overwinter in sea caves where the water stays above 10°C even in winter. That’s unusual for birds generally described as spring-and-summer visitors to Japan.
In winter, aosa seaweed-growing nets are laid in Kasaragi-ike, the cove famous for its heart-shaped outline. The same waters that make the view memorable are also part of the area’s aquaculture landscape.
The red Oyako Ohashi, or “parent-and-child bridges,” look like a matching pair from the viewpoints. But their spans differ: Aso浦 Bridge is 103 m long, while Minamijima Bridge is 155 m.
Mieshima Viewpoint’s appeal changes after dark: the stars are clearly visible, and the national-park guide notes that the night sky draws astronomers as well as visitors who come for the coastal view.
