Toba-Mie

Toba is a small coastal city in Mie Prefecture, Japan, best known for its connection to pearl cultivation. Mikimoto Kokichi successfully produced the world's first cultured pearl here in 1893, and the Mikimoto Pearl Island, connected to the mainland by a bridge near the port, tells that story with a museum and demonstrations by ama divers, the traditional female free-divers who collected oysters from the seabed. The Toba Aquarium, one of the largest in Japan, keeps dugongs, sea otters and over 1,200 species. The Ise Grand Shrine, Japan's most sacred Shinto site, is about 20 minutes away by train and is rebuilt every 20 years using traditional methods, most recently in 2013. Seafood is the thing to eat here, particularly abalone, spiny lobster and oysters. The ama divers' huts along the coast serve freshly grilled shellfish. The town is compact and manageable on foot from the cruise terminal.