Mikimoto Pearl Island

Mikimoto Pearl Island (ミキモト真珠島, Mikimoto-Shinju-Jima^?) is a small island located in Ise Bay, offshore Toba, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

This island is known as the birthplace of cultured pearl Aquaculture and it belongs to Mikimoto Pearl Museum Co., Ltd. (株式会社ミキモト真珠島, Kabushiki-Gaisha-Mikimoto-Shinju-Jima^?). The company runs the island as a tourist attraction, exhibits pearls and pearl craft goods, and holds shows featuring ama divers.

In 1893, Mikimoto Kōkichi, a local entrepreneur, succeeded in producing cultured pearls on an island in Ise Bay called Ojima (相島^?). In 1919, the island was sold by the town of Toba to Teikoku Kisen Shipping Company, but was purchased back by Toba Town in 1927, and resold to Mikimoto Kōkichi in 1929, with the funds used to establish an elementary school. Mikimoto developed the island as a center for pearl production. In 1951, Mikimoto renamed the island Mikimoto Pearl Island, and set up a company to develop it for tourism. A commemorative museum of the life of Mikimoto was established in 1958, and a Pearl Museum in 1962. A bridge connecting the island to the mainland was completed in 1970. The Pearl Museum was rebuilt in 1985 and the Mikimoto Museum in 1993.

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