1.5 hour private experience
Location: Shima City, Mie Prefecture
Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
Meet the Masters
What you’ll do
Visit an Akoya pearl farm, hidden in Mie's coastal groves. Observe some of the seasonal processes of raising pearls. Hop on the fishing boat and cruise around the region where the shellfish grow. Then, extract your own pearl from the shellfish.
Availability
Everyday except Sundays
Session 1 (08:00 - 09:30)
Session 2 (09:30 - 11:00)
Session 3 (12:00 - 13:30)
Session 4 (13:30 - 15:00)
Not available between December and mid-April due to the mollusks being moved to warmer waters.
Who can attend
Children must be 10+
What to wear
Please wear clothing that you can move around in easily.
Access
1 hour 35 minutes by car from Tsu Station
Pearls of Wisdom
An elegant gift plucked from the ocean, Akoya pearls are unmistakable with their dusky sheen. Forged by saltwater nutrients and tempered by Japan's changing seasons, which lower and rise in ocean temperatures to a greater degree than more southerly-located pearl regions, these pearls are prized across Japan and beyond. Here in Ise-Shima, in the waters of Ago Bay hidden among a tangle of groves and hamlets buffered, the 1500-year-old Akoya pearl industry carries on a legacy both storied and shimmering. Mie's connection with shellfish extends centuries, from famed ama divers to extracting pearls from the shellfish's cloistered frame. As naturally occurring pearls are elusive and exorbitant, the pearl industry utilizes meticulous processes to cultivate pearls for purchase and use, inserting calcium starters to encourage pearl formation and fostering the pearl until ready for harvest. After extraction, all parts of the shellfish are used--from the minuscule calcium formations crushed into medicine to the shells procured by professional inlay artisans--while the treasured inner meat can be used as food or fodder for increasing nutrients in the surrounding sea. At one of the area's prominent pearl farms, witness the seasonal processes and interact up close with the beauty and shine of Mie's Akoya pearls.
Cancellation Policy
Please make your booking at least 7 days in advance. See cancellation policy here.
A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.
