Left in taxis this early a.m. to make our way to the train station for our bullet train trip to Nagoya, then eventually on to Toba. The bullet train is lightening fast & among the fastest trains in the world, traveling up to 160 miles per hour. We arrived in Nagoya & hopped aboard the Kintetsu Express in order to reach our final destination, Toba.
Our bags were sent ahead to Kyoto, so making our way through the stations was so much easier with just 2 days of clothing in a small carryon. We’ll see our bags again in 3 days.
Our first stop after arriving in Toba was the famous Ise Shrine, which is actually a collection of many shrines; a riverside complex with some structures dating back 2000 years.
New hotel, Toba Seaside Resort, new experience. The hotel is Japanese style hotel with both Western & Japanese style rooms: Western beds or Tatima mat beds. Yea for me, I am sleeping on the floor for 2 nights.
Also unique about this hotel are the hot springs baths, known as the onsen. Put pride aside when going into the hot spring area; communal bathing before going into the hot spring pools, obviously no clothes ever, with just a small towel to place on top of the head. The towel is to be used as a front cover (barely) when getting out of the pool. I used the pool both nights; amazing sleep.
Saturday morning we visited a pearl farming family & learned how cultured pearls come about. First basket fish for the oysters, delicately pry open the oyster, implant a small bead (nucleus) & tissue from the oyster (mantle). Put pack in water in cages, check frequently. Pearl should develop in 6 months. Helps to explain why pearls can be so expensive.
Next, it was off to a hut where we met up with the local ama, sea women. Luckily I read the book The Island of Sea Women so I had a bit of an idea about this type of fishing by mostly women divers. These remarkable women free dive without a breathing apparatus for lobster, sea urchins, sea weed & other marine delicacies along the coast.
One more stop at the end of another busy day, the Mikimoto Pearl Island Museum. One of the highlights of the visit was an amazing diving demonstration.
Bullet train which we boarded for a 2 hour trip to Nagoya. Every 3 minutes the Shinkansen leaves Tokyo for Osaka & can transport more than 1300 passengers in 16 cars. The train is more than 4 football fields long & weighs 700 tons. The train is powered by electricity from overhead power lines.Bullet train 7 minute miracle. Seats turned & cleaned, ready for the next group of travelers. A feat executed when the heavily used train arrives in Tokyo station. Total time in station is 12 minutes; 5 minutes to disembark & load.My lunch purchased at a Family Store in the train station in Nagoya to satisfy my hunger on the next leg of our journey. On to TOBA on a different train (Kintetsu Express). Lunch menu: Pickle, lemon flavored pork tongue, plain seafood. Did not finish the tongue, but I tried. Oh yes, chocolate bar in the bag to enjoy on the rest of the trip; one bite a day.Isu-jingu shine in TOBA. Many Japanese come here frequently for a pilgrimage. We followed the tradition of bowing when approaching the shrine. Japanese practice both Shintoism & Buddhism.Many of the buildings of the Ise Shrine use the Chrysanthemum flower in the architecture which is the crest for Imperial Family.My bed for two nights: tatami mat. Traditional room, bamboo floor & no shoes. Never attempted to use the table & chair. Wonder why!!!!Beautiful view of the bay from my large window. Slept so well as both nights I used the onsen (hot spring).Our Kimonos for dinner on Friday night. Everyone wears these “robes” in & around the hotel. Robes comfortable, but the shoes are an accident waiting to happen. Charming little fishing village where we learned about pearl farming.Getting ready to extract the pearl from the oyster shell. Gloves & oyster knife at hand. Pearl perfectly round, but itty-bitty. Some of the group used their pearl in a piece of jewelry or trinket.AMA, still working as a sea diver, preparing our lunch. Grilled peppers, mushrooms, eggplants plus shell fish & a perfectly grilled flounder. Finished with carbs of rice & ice cream.Most of the group with the Ama. Father of the cultured pear, Mikimoto. Developed the technique of the cultured pearl in 1893.Sea diver emerging with her catch.Table set for our 12 course dinner on Saturday night. Sounds & looks like a good deal of food, but small portions. Lots of fresh seafood, but beef & pork as well in hot pots. Japanese people eat very heathily. I’m certainly enjoying myself. Have tasted my share of sake.
Off to Kyoto on another train, & coming to the end of our group excursion. Some of us are going on the Hiroshima, others heading home.
Visited the Mikimoto Pearl Museum. This liberty bell was made for the New York 1939 Exposition. This peace bell is made of 12,250 pearls & 366 diamonds. The crack in the bell is made of pearls. “Million Dollar Bell”
Awesome – how fun – a continuation of what appears to be a wonderful trip so far. And you will love Kyoto, I’m sure!!!Sent from my iPhoneOn Sep 13, 2026,
OAT does a great job of moving you around with lots of experiences! So fun such a beautiful country definitely on our list. Keep having fun…. Will there be new glasses from Japan….. always makes a nice souvenir!
Leave a comment