Mikimoto Pearl Island
Mikimoto Pearl Island
4
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.0
416 reviews
Excellent
101
Very good
190
Average
113
Poor
11
Terrible
1
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Lysia A
6 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Superb museum, with the possibility to see live the divers Ama who collect pearl shells at the bottom of the water. Also historical museum, which talks about the history of Toba and the culture of pearls. Very good experience!
Automatically translated
Written September 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HorseyPig
Vancouver, Canada13 contributions
Feb 2017 • Friends
I spent 3 hours looking through the museum. Lots of information for the uninitiated (me!), regarding pearl oysters, types of pearls, the culture process, the cultivation of the pearl oysters, the how to tell the difference between cultured round pearls and fake round pearls, the transformation of pearls into wearable jewels, and the grading of pearls. Another section has exhibit of various crowns over the history that were adorned with pearls. Third section has the history of pearls from ancient times. Fourth section has history of cultured pearls. Finally, there is a reasonably-priced cafe, a pearl shop featuring Mikomoto, and non-Mikimoto (albeit Akoya) pearl jewelry, and a souvenir shop. The outside of the building has a memorial garden in honor of Kokichi Mikimoto. There was a section about the history of Kokichi Mikomoto, but I didn't have time. I highly recommend visiting the Mikimoto Pearl Island, for anyone who is interested in pearls.
For anyone coming to Toba from Osaka, make sure to book not only the Kintetsu regular train tickets, but also the Limited Express train tickets, if you want to arrive here in 2.5 hours as described by Google Maps. The Limited Express tickets should be booked one day in advance.
For anyone coming to Toba from Osaka, make sure to book not only the Kintetsu regular train tickets, but also the Limited Express train tickets, if you want to arrive here in 2.5 hours as described by Google Maps. The Limited Express tickets should be booked one day in advance.
Written February 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TNJP_Explorer
Yokohama, Japan101 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
I have heard about this place for many years and wanted to visit, unfortunately I had set my expectations too high. Maybe that is my fault since it is obviously a tourist trap. The pearl diving demonstration was interesting, might have been better with an underwater viewing area since that is really where the action took place. However, I had trouble connecting the women divers to the museum about how pearls are grown on floating platforms where divers are not needed!? The museum was good with Japanese/English signs on most exhibits but the demonstration was Japanese only. The biggest disappointment was the huge pearl shop with huge prices. I could pay the same in Tokyo, why would I drive almost 5 hours to be gouged!! I rarely rate anything poor but this place was certainly below average thanks to the ridiculous prices. If you are interested in cultured pearls, use the internet and save your money, fuel and time.
Written December 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bundtlust
Katori, Japan994 contributions
May 2012 • Solo
Mie prefecture is famous for its cultivated oyster farms. Mikimoto Kōkichi is credited with developing the first cultured pearl and kickstarting the pearl industry with his Mikimoto company and Mikimoto Pharmaceuticals, which sells beauty products containing pearl calcium. Mikimoto started his first pearl oyster farm in 1888, although commercially viable harvests did not come until many years later.
Mikimoto Island demonstrates the process of cultured pearls through videos and displays labeled in Japanese and English. You'll learn to spot the difference between cultivated and imitation pearls by rubbing strands of pearls together (hint: natural pearls will have a slight "grittiness" to them, whereas artificial pearls will feel perfectly smooth). You'll follow the journey of a pearl from the rather traumatic insertion into the oyster through the final harvesting.
Along the way, you'll find a stunning display of pearl-encrusted jewelry, including enameled brooches, icons, tiaras, and crowns, and at the very end you'll find a room of pearl sculptures that Mikimoto created, including a pagoda, the Liberty Bell, and a world globe.
There is also a lovely set of gardens, a small shrine and scenic overlook, and hourly demonstrations of ama, or female pearl divers. Finally, there is a Mikimoto pearl shop, but the cheapest single strand I saw was well over $2,000, so I had to settle for window shopping and collecting the cute Mikimoto rubber stamps "hidden" around Pearl Island.
Mikimoto Pearl Island is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours against the scenic backdrop of Toba Bay!
Mikimoto Island demonstrates the process of cultured pearls through videos and displays labeled in Japanese and English. You'll learn to spot the difference between cultivated and imitation pearls by rubbing strands of pearls together (hint: natural pearls will have a slight "grittiness" to them, whereas artificial pearls will feel perfectly smooth). You'll follow the journey of a pearl from the rather traumatic insertion into the oyster through the final harvesting.
Along the way, you'll find a stunning display of pearl-encrusted jewelry, including enameled brooches, icons, tiaras, and crowns, and at the very end you'll find a room of pearl sculptures that Mikimoto created, including a pagoda, the Liberty Bell, and a world globe.
There is also a lovely set of gardens, a small shrine and scenic overlook, and hourly demonstrations of ama, or female pearl divers. Finally, there is a Mikimoto pearl shop, but the cheapest single strand I saw was well over $2,000, so I had to settle for window shopping and collecting the cute Mikimoto rubber stamps "hidden" around Pearl Island.
Mikimoto Pearl Island is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours against the scenic backdrop of Toba Bay!
Written August 13, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Graham H
Melbourne, Australia851 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
We were celebrating our wedding anniversary, so I planned to take my wife here. I had been 35 years earlier and had recognized its attraction. From Kyoto the “limited express” takes 2.25 hours, but is direct to Toba. 5 minutes walk from the station is the entrance to Pearl Island. We had allowed ourselves 3 hours, but actually 4 would have been better. There are 4 parts to the tour: the museum, the diving show, the memorial hall (Mikimoto’s life), and of course the shop. There is also an excellent restaurant on site. 4 hours will allow time to see everything - and have lunch. 3 hours, will allow 3 of the 4 parts, and lunch. There is an entrance fee of JPY 1500 - cash only, be warned; but it is worth it. We thoroughly enjoyed the day, and you guessed it, my wife got a souvenir anniversary present! Oh well.....🙂
Written June 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fleckney
Fleckney, UK436 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
A visit to Milimoto pearl island costs ¥1500 for and adult and you need to spend about two to three hours to make the most of the visit. There is a demonstration in English at twenty minutes past the hour and to be sure of a front row seat it is necessary to be there at ten past the hour. Two women divers dressed in white demonstrate how oysters are picked from the sea bed. The visit to the shop shows the result of their labours, but we found the museum the most interesting part of the visit. There is a detailed explanation of how pearls are cultivated - and most of the explanation is in English as well as Japanese!
Written April 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
P-Fow
Illinois68 contributions
Aug 2018
I wasn't expecting too much from this museum -- thinking it'd be more of a promotional opportunity to sell pearls, but I was pleasantly surprised. My favorite part of the island is the museum dedicated to the life of Mikimoto himself -- a really interesting man who overcame a lot and truly cared about his community. The divers were really impressive, and the pearl jewelry on display (not the stuff for sale, but the historical stuff) was impressive and unique. Pearls aren't my "thing," but the shop is lovely, and I appreciated how it's not really front and center, but one element among many.
Written September 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TPereiraSydney
Ingleburn, Australia43 contributions
May 2018
Pearls aren’t my thing but some others on the tour were very interested in the place. The pearl diving show is brief but informative and is in English. The museum was better than I expected so that was lovely. The shop is wonderful but be prepared for high prices for their quality pearls.
Written May 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Demi_from_SG
Singapore, Singapore214 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
Ticket is a bit pricy but it's interesting to see how Mikimoto pearls are made. But no English translation in majority of displays and especially how to make pearl section and ama ladies show are only available in Japanese.
If you are interested in purchasing Mikimoto pearls, this place can be cheaper than department stores but what I heard from shop assistant is quality of pearls in the island shop is slightly lower than the department stores (and using different Mikimoto tag to distinguish).
If you are interested in purchasing Mikimoto pearls, this place can be cheaper than department stores but what I heard from shop assistant is quality of pearls in the island shop is slightly lower than the department stores (and using different Mikimoto tag to distinguish).
Written December 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dianeoh1950
Sylvania, OH250 contributions
Oct 2013 • Solo
I had a day alone to fill because son had to work. I bravely set out on the JRT, solo, to visit Toba and Mikomoto. Had a relaxing 2 hour train ride from Nagoya. The Toba Station is, literally a 5 minute walk from the Pearl Island. I liked that there was an extensive exhibit hall. Lots of information to be had regarding pearl "making". The diving exhibition was fun to watch. Of course....the gift shop. History, culture and SHOPPING. Such a deal. A nice way to spend a couple hours.
Written October 12, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi I’m arriving in Toba on Tuesday 10 dec. I read in one website that the museum is closed second Tuesday of December and three days after. Anyone knows if this is still true as the website is several years old. I would be devastated as I really wanted to visit this museum
Written October 18, 2019
Hi there, I would like to know the admission fee of the Mikimoto Pearl Island and if we need to pre-book before going. Thank you much!
Written June 10, 2019
No prebooking required. You buy your tickets there for $15 each. You should definitely go. It is worth a lot more than that fee.
Written July 22, 2019
Do you know how far is Mikimoto pearl island from where Princess cruise line dock? Would it be a walking distance from port to the museum? If not close enough, is uber or lyft available for a ride from cruise port to the museum? Thanks in advance.
Written March 22, 2019
Yes. It's walkable distance from Toba Station. We walked to Mikimoto pearl island after getting off the Princess cruise.
Written May 27, 2019
Buona sera sarò da voi a marzo e volendo acquistare una collana girocollo di perle da quale prezzo si parte??? Grazie saluti Roberta
Written February 1, 2019
Buona sera sarò da voi a marzo e volendo acquistare una collana girocollo di perle da quale prezzo si parte??? Grazie saluti Roberta
Written February 1, 2019
How do you get there from Kyoto? Are there English speaking guides or tours?
Written April 9, 2016
It appears that you could take the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) Tokkaido Line from Kyoto to the Osaka Main Staition, then the Osaka Loop Line to the Kinsetsu-Osaka Line, which then connects to the Kinsetsu-Yamada Line, and finally, to the Kinsetsu-Toba Line, which takes you into Toba City. From there, it's a short, pleasant walk by the sea, most over a scenic boardwalk to the bridge entrance to Mikimoto Island. Here, you will buy your entrance ticket and pick up an English language brochure that will be very informative to the sites on the island. Once there, you walk through a small park with zen garden features to the main museum complex. The lower level illustrates the history of cultured pearls, which originated here in world history. Various stations demonstrate the process in which a bead is inserted into the shell to begin the culturing process. At scheduled times, "ama", the female pearl divers, will give demonstrations outdoors by an aquatic amphitheater, to show how they bring up oysters from the seabed. Further on the first level are priceless artifacts, studded with pearls, such as tiaras and necklaces. This also covers the design and fabrication of exclusive jewelry, some worn by Japan royals. Up the escalator to the second level are landmark pieces that showcase the finest examples of pearl-laden art; the larger pieces are almost breath-taking. There is a restaurant on this level, though I did not eat here. There is also an extensive pearl reference library on this level, plus brochures showing other tour sites. Back on the ground level, there are tasteful shops where an extensive collection of pearl jewelry is sold, some ranging in the thousands of dollars. There are many colors of pearls which will be chronicled as you amble through the exhibits, and many other sources besides oysters, and their varieties, that produce them. I would recommend half to an entire day to see the Island and Toba City, where small shops serve excellent catches of oysters and other seafood. Highly recommended.
Written April 10, 2016
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