御木本珍珠島

Mikimoto Pearl Island is a small island in Toba Bay connected to the mainland by a bridge. It was here in 1893 that Kokichi Mikimoto first succeeded in producing a cultured pearl, and the island opened to the public in 1951. The Pearl Museum on the island explains how pearls are cultivated and displays objects made from pearls. The Mikimoto Kokichi Memorial Hall covers the life of the founder of the cultured pearl industry. Visitors can watch demonstrations by ama, the traditional women divers who work in white diving costumes. The island also has a shop and a restaurant.