Shima Mediterranean Village

Overview

Shima Mediterranean Village is a tourist facility in Shima City, Mie Prefecture, modeled after a Mediterranean coastal resort. It began in 1989 when owners of vacation homes invested capital to establish Shima Mediterranean Village Co., Ltd., operating initially as a members-only villa community. Currently operating as a general hotel, Masuya Group headquarters is the majority shareholder. The site covers approximately 33,000 square meters, recreating the townscapes of Andalusia and Castile in Spain, and Sardinia in Italy. The 2018 expansion added the Mykonos/Menorca Zone, inspired by Greek Mykonos and Spanish Menorca, and the Alhambra Zone, modeled after the Alhambra Palace's hammam (bathhouse). The design was supervised by Spanish architect Luis Corbera, with Shimizu Corporation handling the initial design and construction. Takenaka Corporation was responsible for the 2018 expansion. Accommodation consists of twin rooms and villa suite rooms. The expansion added superior twin rooms, double rooms, and luxury suite rooms. Villa suite rooms are standalone villas, boasting 120 square meters of space. It's popular with families, couples, and young women, especially on weekends. While primarily a hotel, non-guests can use the restaurant (dinner reservations required), workshops, and facility tours. Initially, there was no admission fee, but since July 2017, a fee has been charged for non-guests (middle school age and older), and visiting hours are limited to 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM to prioritize hotel guests. The village closes one day a month and has a week-long maintenance break in January. It's also possible to book the entire village for private use. In 2016, ahead of the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, an expansion plan was announced, investing approximately 2.5 billion yen. From June 2016 (after the summit), the east and west sides of the site were expanded by over 2,000 square meters each, adding a wedding hall, convention facilities, and 25 new guest rooms. The reopening after renovations was on March 16, 2018. From May 21 to May 28, 2016, due to access restrictions to Kaseshima Island for the summit, the ferry terminal for the Mazakishima-Kaseshima route was temporarily moved from Kaseshima Port to Shima Mediterranean Village. However, the village's pier had dozens of steps, requiring a shuttle bus to reach Shima City. This caused some elderly residents of Mazakishima Island to avoid using the ferry during this period. Admission fees for non-guests were introduced on July 22, 2017. Since March 2022, the "Ago Bay Adventure Cruise" operated by Ise-Shima Tourism has departed from Shima Mediterranean Village's pier. Shima Mediterranean Village is a perfect spot to create special memories in a space filled with Mediterranean charm.