Well-known for housing one of Japan’s most important shrines, Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮), Mie Prefecture (三重県) is a mysterious prefecture to the south of Nagoya (名古屋市). Ise Grand Shrine was where the Japanese people of the Edo period would make trips from all over Japan to receive blessings from.
However, there is a lot more to Mie than just Ise Grand Shrine, Ise lobsters, and Matsuzaka Beef. Let’s go beyond the surface and dive deeper into the coastal city of Toba (鳥羽市), where the divers are all ladies, and where they not only dive for seafood, but pearls too!
1. Toshijima
One of the nearest islands, Toshijima (答志島), where everyone is a fisher, is a great place to walk around and explore the “quieter” parts of Japan. Here, you can enjoy the freshest catch of fish and other seafood right out of the fishing boats at the island’s various restaurants.
At less than ¥600 per ride, getting here isn’t going to break the bank either. You can even book tours where a local guide will show you around the island and its various unique experiences too!
TOBA Marine Terminal (鳥羽マリンターミナル)
Address: 1-2383-51 Toba, Toba-shi, Mie 517-0011
Nearest station: Toba Station (鳥羽駅)
Access: TOBA Marine Terminal is 5-minute walk from Toba Station (鳥羽駅). The ferry ride to Toshijima takes 15 minutes to Wagu, or 26 minutes to Toshi.
2. Toba Aquarium
Located just a short 10-minute walk from Toba Station (鳥羽駅), Toba Aquarium (鳥羽水族館) has one of the largest collections of marine animals in Japan. Unlike the usual aquariums that have only one route to explore, this aquarium splits their exhibits into 12 zones and visitors can freely explore them in any order.
This aquarium also houses the one and only dugong in Japan.
Toba Aquarium (鳥羽水族館)
Address: 3-3-6 Toba, Toba-shi, Mie 517-8517
Nearest station: Nakanogo Station (中之郷駅)
Access: 5-minute walk from Nakanogo Station (中之郷駅)
3. Mikimoto Pearl Island
Having the whole island to themselves, Mikimoto Pearl Island (ミキモト真珠島) is where you can get some of the world-famous MIKIMOTO accessories right from the source.
Here, you can also learn about pearls and the way they are processed in the museum. They also have regularly scheduled shows where you can watch the ladies dive for pearls.
The island also has a shrine, a huge garden, as well as a cafe too! This is a great way to spend half a day for less than $20. Check out the map of the island.
Mikimoto Pearl Island (ミキモト真珠島)
Address: 1-7-1 Toba, Toba-shi, Mie 517-8511
Nearest station: Toba Station (鳥羽駅)
Access: 5-minute walk from Toba Station (鳥羽駅)
4. Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado
Toba boasts the highest number of Ama (海女), also known as lady divers, in all of Japan. Here at Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado (海女小屋の『はちまんかまど』), you can sit in a traditional Ama hut while enjoying the day’s fresh catch all handpicked from the sea and grilled right in front of you. Depending on the day, you can expect to enjoy shellfish like scallops, sea urchin, and even local specialties like abalone and Ise lobster.
If the hut and atmosphere by the seaside is not enough, ladies can also dress up and be like an Ama here too!
While it might seem to be quite a distance from Toba City, they provide a free shuttle bus service for guests who are heading to dine at Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado. The bus conveniently departs from Toba Station and brings you back too. All you have to do is state your preferred bus timings on the reservation form.
Ama Hut “Hachiman Kamado” (海女小屋の『はちまんかまど』)
Address: 819 Osatsucho, Toba-shi, Mie 517-0032
Nearest station: Toba Station (鳥羽駅)
Access: 40-minute bus ride from Toba Station (鳥羽駅)
Closing
Whether you’re making a pilgrimage to one of Japan’s most important shrines or simply taking a short trip from Nagoya, Toba is a great place to include in your itinerary.
If you are taking public transport here, there is a JR Pass that includes perks like unlimited free bus rides within Ise and Toba too!
Header image credit: Shenghung Lin / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
