Suzuka 5.58

Suzuka is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan.As of August 2015, the city had an estimated population of 196,853 and a population density of 1,010 persons per km². The total area was 194.46km².GeographySuzuka is located in northeastern Mie Prefecture, in northern Kii Peninsula, bordered by Ise Bay to the east. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Ise-no-Umi Prefectural Natural Park and the Suzuka Quasi-National Park.Neighboring municipalitiesMie Prefecture YokkaichiTsu, MieKameyamaShiga Prefecture KōkaHistorySuzuka, as a place name, is mentioned in the Nara period chronicle Nihon Shoki. The ancient Tōkaidō passed through Suzuka, and the Nara-period provincial capital was located within its borders. During the Sengoku period, the area was controlled by Oda Nobutaka, the third son of Oda Nobunaga, who ruled from Kanbe Castle. During the Edo period, much of the area was under the control of the 15,000 koku Kambe Domain, ruled by the Honda clan from 1732 until the Meiji restoration in 1871. During this period, two post stations were located within the modern city limits: Ishiyakushi-juku and Shōno-juku, which prospered due to pilgrimage traffic to the Ise Grand Shrines.