Night cruises in Yokkaichi reveal a 'fairy-tale' world of lights, pipes and towers
Yokkaichi's industrial waterfront in Mie prefecture, central Japan, glows after dark. Once known for pollution that sickened residents, the area now draws visitors on nighttime boat tours. (Photo by Stephen Mansfield)
STEPHEN MANSFIELD
October 24, 2026 10:53 JST
Among the myriad products manufactured at the Kasumi Industrial Complex in Yokkaichi, a city in Mie prefecture, central Japan, are benzene, polyethylene, industrial alcohols, polymers, PVC resin and cumene, a flammable hydrocarbon liquid used as an additive to high-octane motor fuel.