Exploring Ise-Shima National Park: Where Nature, Human Activities, and Mythology Coexist

The Yokoyama Observatory offers a panoramic view of the vast evergreen broadleaf forests and tranquil rias coast of Ago Bay. Address: 875-20 Ugata, Ago-cho, Shima-shi, Mie-ken, TEL: 0599-44-0567 (Yokoyama Visitor Center).

Ise-Shima National Park encompasses the Shima Peninsula in central Mie Prefecture and its surrounding areas. This vast expanse of green space, covering about 60,000 hectares, includes the inland area centered around Ise Jingu Shrine and the evergreen broadleaf forest behind it, as well as a stretch of countless small inlets and capes along the rias coast.

Despite being a national park, over 96% of the land is privately owned, creating a long-standing coexistence of nature and human culture. The sea, blessed with the warm Kuroshio current, intricate rias coast, and underwater seaweed forests, is a cradle of abundant marine life, including Ise ebi (lobster), turban shells, and abalone.

The interaction between nature and people has continued here for over 2,000 years. Since ancient times, its diverse and high-quality marine resources have made seafood a regular offering of Ise-Shima locals to both the imperial court and Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess worshipped at Ise Jingu, leading to the region’s moniker of miketsu kuni (land of plentiful food) in Japan’s oldest poem anthology, the Manyoshu.

Savor the King of Japanese Lobster: Ise Ebi, A Delicacy Fit for the Gods

Ise ebi (lobster), prized for its vibrant red shell symbolizing longevity and fortune, has long been cherished as a luxury food item. As it cannot be farmed, it is prized as a rare delicacy. During the grandest festival at Ise Jingu, the Kannamesai (a thanksgiving festival for a bountiful harvest), three Ise lobsters are steamed whole in a hinoki wood steamer and offered up to the gods.

Located in Toba City, Kagetsu is a rare Ise lobster specialty restaurant where live Ise lobsters are steamed and served before your very eyes. Ise lobsters from Mie Prefecture, nurtured in the waters of Ise-Shima, have firm flesh that is juicy and sweet to the taste. Strict regulations govern the fishing season, which runs from October to the end of April.

The Ise Ebi Tairyo course (16,500 yen per person) features an indulgent two and a half lobsters per person, fresh from the tank and prepared in a variety of ways, including steamed, as sashimi, grilled with soy sauce, and as miso soup made from the lobster heads. This luxurious course is available year-round but is limited outside the prime lobster season. Advance reservations are recommended.

Ise-Ebi and Abalone Restaurant Kagetsu
Address: 16-3 Oakihigashimachi, Toba-shi
Tel.: 0599-26-5252
Hours: 11:00-13:30 (LO)
16:30-19:00 (LO)
Closed: Irregular

Experience the 3,000-Year-Old Culture of the Ama Divers and Shichirin-Grilled Seafood BBQ

In Toba City’s Kuzaki area, which falls under the Ise Jingu shrine’s marine territory, a 2,000-year-old tradition continues to this day. Here, abalone harvested by ama divers is offered to the shrine in a ritual with its roots in an ancient myth, where Yamatohime, the legendary figure who founded and enshrined Amaterasu Omikami at Ise Jingu, met an ama diver named Oben in Kuzaki and later offered abalone to the gods.

The history of the ama divers spans over 3,000 years, the traditional free-diving method they use remaining unchanged since ancient times. Ama not only harvest marine products but also adhere to rules such as not removing small abalone and limiting dive times, a generational effort to preserve the marine environment for posterity that has resulted in the rich marine life found in Mie today.

Ise-Shima has several spots where visitors can hear the experiences of ama while enjoying its delicious seafood. One of these is Ama Hut SATOUMI-AN in Shima City, where both current and retired ama grill seafood such as abalone and Ise lobster while sharing stories about ama fishing and the sea.

Ama Hut SATOUMI-AN
Address: 2279 Koshika, Shima-cho, Shima-shi, Mie-ken
Tel.: 0599-85-1212
Hours: 11:00-20:30 (last entry at 19:00), reservation required

The First Gemstone Encountered by Humans, Cultured through Wisdom and Nature’s Power

Pearls are another of the innumerable objects of beauty cultivated by the people and nature of Ise-Shima National Park.

Mikimoto Pearl Island, floating in Toba Bay, is where Mikimoto Kokichi, founder of the famous Mikimoto pearl company, successfully produced the world’s first cultured pearls. His achievement made it possible for pearls, previously a rare and serendipitous product of chance, to find their homes with women seeking beauty across the world.

The museum on the island offers a comprehensive look at pearls, covering their history, types, culture methods, and jewelry. The Kokichi Mikimoto Memorial Hall in the annex displays exhibits related to founder Kokichi’s life.

Pearls, used for decoration since hunting times, are said to be the first gemstones encountered by humans. With their modest and elegant shine, pearls are a subtle, refined accompaniment to their wearer, embodying the Japanese spirit and culture of the Ise-Shima area.

At the island’s Ama Stand, visitors can enjoy live demonstrations by the ama divers who support pearl culture.

Ama divers were vital to the beginning of pearl culture. Their tasks included collecting mother oysters, managing oysters after nucleation surgery, and moving the oysters to safe locations during harmful red tides.

Ise-Shima’s treasures were nurtured and protected by the ama divers.

Mikimoto Pearl Island
Address: 1-7-1 Toba, Toba-shi, Mie-ken
Tel.: 0599-25-2028
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00 (hours vary by season)

Create Your Own Unique Pearl Accessories from Live Oysters at a Real Culture Site

The success of pearl culture in the Ise-Shima area was such that, at one point, rafts crowded the sea so densely that one could traverse the bay without touching the water.

At Pearl Workshop Shinju no Sato, situated at the tip of the Shima Peninsula, the only sounds filling the air are the cries of birds and lapping of waves. Only true resort areas, where nature and humans coexist peacefully, evoke a tranquility such as this. In this quiet, picturesque corner of the harbor town, visitors can enjoy extracting pearls from live oysters at an actual pearl culture site (1650 yen, or 1980 yen without a reservation, plus additional accessory processing fees).

In addition to pearl extraction, Shinju no Sato offers various activities such as BBQs at sea, fishing, oyster buffets in winter, and sea kayaking (1100 yen per hour).

Pearl Workshop Shinju no Sato (Yamamoto Suisan Co., Ltd.)
Address: 1125-88 Koshika, Shima-cho, Shima-shi, Mie-ken
Tel.: 0599-85-0515 / 080-1557-5837
Hours: 9:30–12:00, 13:00–17:00
Closed: Tuesdays

Access to Mie Prefecture

Mie Prefecture is conveniently accessible by JR (Japan Railways) and Kintetsu trains from Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya. For visiting Ise-Shima National Park, as featured in this article, the KINTETSU RAIL PASS 5 Day / 5 Day plus is recommended.

When traveling to Mie Prefecture by JR, the JR Pass is highly convenient. For those who wish to explore other areas mentioned in this special feature, such as the Kumano Kodo or Wakayama, the JR Tourist Pass is recommended.

*Shima City is not accessible via JR (only Ise City and Toba City are accessible).

Kintetsu offers direct and fast access to Mie from Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya without the need for transfers. The KINTETSU RAIL PASS 5 Day / 5 Day Plus provides unlimited travel on all Kintetsu lines, including Iga Railway, for five days.