city, Hiroshima ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It is located on the mouth of the Nuta River, at the Bingo Channel of the Inland Sea. The city grew around Mihara Castle (1582), and in the 17th century large tracts of land in the locality were brought under cultivation. Mihara has long been an important Inland Sea port; the construction of a wharf at Itozakichō (1864) and a major railway (1894) contributed to its prosperity. By the early 20th century, numerous factories were established, producing fibres, cement, and rolling stock. Chemical factories began operation in the early 1970s. Pop. (2005) 104,196.