Yokkaichi City: A model of integration of industry and humanity in Japan.

Yokkaichi City, quietly lying in Mie Prefecture in the central part of Honshu Island, Japan, is like a pearl with both hardness and softness, exuding a unique charm. Industry is its eye-catching label. As an important petrochemical industry base in Japan, numerous refineries and chemical plants are spread along the coastline, with pipelines crisscrossing and high towers standing tall, operating day and night. The chemical products produced are shipped to various places, supporting a corner of the country's industrial skeleton. In the wave of development, it has continuously innovated environmental protection technologies, striving to coexist harmoniously with the ecology. Green plants are gradually growing around the factory, and wetlands are purifying water quality, making unremitting efforts for the "green transformation" of the industry. The cultural customs are also charming. In the traditional streets, old wooden houses are scattered around. Among the townhouses are century-old shops selling exquisite Japanese confectionery with a delicate taste. The swaying warm yellow lanterns reflect the traditional pottery and dyeing and weaving workshops, where craftsmen caress the soil and silk threads with their fingertips, passing on ancient skills. On the shore of Ise Bay, cherry blossoms are in full bloom and seagulls are flying in the park. Citizens sit and enjoy the scenery, finding a leisurely daily routine in the industrial rhythm, showing the unique vitality of Yokkaichi.