Kihō, Mie


Kihō is a town located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2012, the town had an estimated population of 11,454 and a population density of 144 persons per km2. The total area was 79.66 km2.

Geography

Kihō is located near the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula, facing the Pacific Ocean, and is at the extreme southern point of Mie Prefecture, bordering on Wakayama Prefecture. Parts of the town are within the limits of the Yoshino-Kumano National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

The town of Kihō was established on October 31, 1951 by the merger of the villages of Ida, Mifune, and　Onodani. On January 10, 2006 the village of Udono also from Minamimuro District was merged into Kihō.

Economy

Kihō serves as a commercial center for the surrounding region. Hokuetsu Paper Mills is a major industrial employer.

Transportation

Railway

A portion of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is located within Kihō.