Ise Bay

Ise Bay 伊勢湾
Matsusaka Ise

Ise Bay (伊勢湾, Ise-wan) is a bay located at the mouth of the

by the Irako Channel, which ranges from 50–100 meters (160–330 ft) in depth.

History and environment

Ise Bay derives its name from the region surrounding

consisted of most of modern Mie Prefecture.

From ancient times, Ise Bay has provided the people of the surrounding regions with a rich abundance of natural resources as well as providing easy transport. As a result, unique communities developed around the bay and fishing (including

in the bay, was opened in 2005 to serve the region.

After the end of the Second World War, the Ise Bay region contributed greatly to the rapid recovery of the Japanese economy. This rapid expansion of large industry has come at a cost, though, with pollution affecting the water quality and with landfills and the like reducing the number of tidelands, seaweed beds, and other areas vital in preserving the habitat of local flora and fauna. Sea walls built to protect human habitation, particularly after the 1959 Ise-wan Typhoon, have left more and more areas virtually cut off from the sea.

Ise Bay also has three active faults: Ise Bay fault, Suzuka-oki fault and the Shiroko-noma fault.^[2] Faults near the bay are believed to be responsible for the 1586 Tenshō earthquake.^[3]

Ise-wan Typhoon

On September 26, 1959, the

(Typhoon Vera) devastated the Ise Bay area. Rising tidal levels and pounding surf collapsed banks and inundated low-lying areas of the coast. 5,041 people were killed or missing, 38,921 were injured, and 149,187 houses were totally or partially destroyed. Estimates place the cost of the damage between 500 and 600 billion yen. The damage and loss of life caused by the Ise-wan Typhoon remains the worst recorded by a typhoon in Japan.

Notes

References

• Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
• Ise Bay

External links

• Media related to Ise Bay at Wikimedia Commons