The Environment Ministry has opened a public consultation on its draft seventh review of Ise-Shima National Park, and the headline change is at sea. The draft would extend the marine ordinary zone from 1km to 5km offshore from the shoreline. Marine ordinary zone area would rise from 21,474 ha to 75,002 ha, an increase of 53,528 ha.
What changes on land and water
The growth is concentrated in one category. Total land area would move only from 55,380 ha to 55,415 ha, a gain of 35 ha. The draft adds 14ha in Toba, 11ha in Shima and 12ha in Minami-Ise, and removes 2ha in Ise. A new marine park district of 1,476 ha would be designated around Mie-jima in Minami-Ise.
Several land parcels would be reclassified. Funakoshi in Shima's Daio-cho moves from third-class to first-class special zone, and one area of Minami-Ise from third-class to second-class. Areas in Isobe-cho and Hamajima-cho in Shima move from ordinary to third-class special zone. The plan also expands the Yokoyama group facility district by 3ha, adds three lodging sites, and deletes one lodging site, one campsite, one sports ground and water and drainage facilities.
Why the ministry is doing it
The ministry cites about ten years since the sixth review, solar installations on abandoned farmland, local efforts to attract inbound tourists, and the 30by30 biodiversity target under the national strategy adopted in March 2023.
Timetable
This is a voluntary consultation under Articles 6(1) and 8(1) of the Natural Parks Act. Comments, in Japanese, run from 19 October to 17 November; the e-Gov page lists the close as 0:00 on 18 November. The ministry plans to publish a summary of comments around December, consult the Central Environment Council around February 2027, and issue a gazette notice around March 2027. Designation remains a proposal until then.