Mie Leisure Spots

📍 Kumano, Mie ★ 4.8

Kumano Kodo Hiking

Walking the Kumano Kodo on Mie's Iseji route combines the spiritual dimension of a 1,200-year-old pilgrimage with the practical pleasure of excellent forest hiking infrastructure, including traditional minshuku guesthouses, luggage-forwarding services, and a UNESCO-recognised trail map network. Daily stages of 10–20 kilometres pass cedar cathedrals, coastal cliffs, and isolated village shrines where fresh water is still offered to pilgrims. The route connects logistically with the Wakayama section for those wishing to complete the full Kumano circuit.

Pilgrimage Hiking Forest Trail Guesthouses

📍 Shima, Mie ★ 4.7

Ama Pearl Diver Experience

The ama (female free divers) of the Shima Peninsula have harvested abalone, sea cucumber, and pearl oysters for over 2,000 years, diving without equipment to depths of 15 m on single breaths. Several coastal inns and diving schools now offer supervised beginner ama experiences in shallow water, followed by a meal prepared by retired ama divers at their community hut (amagoya).

Ama Pearl Diver Underwater Cultural Heritage

📍 Shima, Mie ★ 4.6

Ago Bay Pearl Island Cruise

Ago Bay's sheltered waters, dotted with raft after raft of pearl oyster nets hanging below the surface, are best experienced by glass-bottomed boat or kayak tour. The cruise demonstrates the Mikimoto pearl cultivation technique — Mie is where Mikimoto Kokichi cultivated the world's first cultured pearl in 1893 — with stops at pearl factories and archipelago islet viewpoints.

Pearl Cruise Bay Scenic

📍 Toba, Mie ★ 4.4

Mikimoto Pearl Island

Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba Bay marks the site where Kokichi Mikimoto perfected the world's first cultured pearl in 1893, revolutionising the global jewellery industry. The museum traces the history of the discovery and displays spectacular pearl art pieces including a pearl-encrusted replica of the Liberty Bell. Live ama diving demonstrations in traditional white suits take place several times daily, and the pearl jewellery shop offers pieces from ¥5,000 to several million yen. Admission is ¥1,650.

Cultured Pearls Ama Diving Demo History

📍 Iga, Mie ★ 4.4

Iga Ninja Experience

Iga's ninja experience facilities offer hands-on workshops in shuriken throwing, fukiya blowgun use, smoke bomb deployment, and the art of disguise, taught by instructors in full shinobi attire against the backdrop of the castle grounds. The Ninja Museum's performance shows demonstrate wall-climbing, water-walking, and escape techniques that make ninja capabilities feel genuinely plausible rather than theatrical. Workshops start from ¥800 and are suitable for ages 6 and up, making Iga one of the best family destinations in the Kansai region.

Ninja Shuriken Throwing Workshop

📍 Kashikojima, Mie ★ 4.3

Ago Bay Glass-Bottom Boat

A 50-minute glass-bottom cruise through the pearl oyster rafts of Ago Bay offers a unique perspective on the cultivation process, with underwater viewing panels revealing the oyster baskets suspended in the turquoise water below the rafts. The cruise also passes small uninhabited islands, fishing net platforms, and the occasional sea bream and yellowtail visible in the clear water. Departing from Kashikojima harbour, tickets cost around ¥1,600 and no reservation is required outside peak season.

Glass-Bottom Boat Pearl Rafts Cruise

🎿 Mie Leisure