Mie Toba | Mikimoto Pearl Island Ticket | Pearl Museum & Ama Diver Performance

• What is Mikimoto Pearl Island?

Located in Toba Bay, Mie Prefecture, Mikimoto Pearl Island is the starting point of the global cultured pearl industry. In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto successfully cultivated the world's first pearl here, transforming pearls from rare treasures into a stable commodity and reshaping the global jewelry industry. This pearl-themed island consists of three main areas: the Pearl Museum, the Kokichi Mikimoto Memorial Hall, and the Ama diver performance area, offering a complete story of how pearls travel from the sea to the jewelry box. Crossing the bridge from the mainland, you are greeted by the blue waters of Toba Bay and a view of the scattered islands, making it a landmark of the Ise-Shima region.

• What can you experience at Mikimoto Pearl Island?

The Pearl Museum on the island uses accessible displays to explain the principles of pearl formation and cultivation techniques, showing you exactly how a pearl is born. The museum also houses a vast collection of precious antique jewelry, including pieces made from natural pearls and breathtaking art works luxuriously crafted with cultured pearls. The Kokichi Mikimoto Memorial Hall depicts the dramatic life of the entrepreneur who dedicated his life to the pearl industry through lesser-known stories, vintage photographs, and his personal belongings. Outside the exhibition halls, don't miss the live Ama diver performance set against the beautiful Toba Bay, where divers in traditional white 'isogi' costumes demonstrate the centuries-old diving techniques.