Ama Splash Show at Mikimoto Pearl Island

Watch Ama divers in action at the birthplace of pearl cultivation.

Ama are female divers who gather shellfish and other delicacies of the sea in shallow waters near the coast. They dive without scuba equipment or oxygen tanks, as they have been doing for more than three thousand years. Ama culture flourishes in Ise-Shima, where these women are also respected for having played a key role in the early days of pearl cultivation.

This experience takes place at Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba, where the world’s first cultivated pearls were produced in the late 1800s. You’ll learning about how pearl farming began on the island and how the diving skills of the Ama were indispensable to the process.

First, you’ll board a boat together with a group of Ama, who then give an energetic demonstration of their talents in the sea off the island. Watching them from the boat, you’ll be treated to a much more action-packed view than that from the on-shore bleachers.

This “Splash Show” is followed by a tour of the Mikimoto Pearl Museum, where you’ll find out how pearls come into being, learn what makes a high-quality specimen, and understand how these treasures of the ocean make their way from sea to shop display.

• Visit Mikimoto Pearl Island with a guide from the Kaito Yumin Club. You will learn why Ama divers were indispensable for pearl cultivation.
• You can board a boat with Ama divers and watch their diving performance (about 10 mins).(Normally observed from the bleachers).
• After the demonstration show, Mikimoto Pearl Island staff will take you on a tour of the Pearl Museum.
• The duration of the tour is 90 min. You are free to visit Pearl Island before or after the tour.
• There is a possibility of splashing. Life jackets and splash protection will be provided.