ARASHIMA GUEST HOUSE / TOBA
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Sights around Toba

Toba, Mie — Sightseeing Guide

From the end of the street to the great sights of Ise-Shima.

The aquarium and Pearl Island are both close enough to walk. Go a little further and Ise Jingu and Shima Spain Village are within reach. Opening hours, and a few things the owner noticed on his own visits.

On Foot

Places you can walk to from the inn.

Toba Aquarium and Mikimoto Pearl Island are both within walking distance. Leave your bags and head straight out.

~5 min walkAquarium

Toba Aquarium

鳥羽水族館 — more species than any other aquarium in Japan

Around 1,200 species, more than any other aquarium in the country. It is the only place in the world where you can see a dugong, and it is also home to two much-loved sea otters, Mei and Kira. With the sea lion show and the walrus meet-and-greet, a family can easily spend the whole day here.

Hours
9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:00)
Closed
Open every day
Access
10 min walk from Nakanogo Station
Owner's note

Sea otter viewing runs on a one-minute-per-group rotation and the queue can get long. Just after opening is the moment to go.

Official site
~12 min walkPearls · Ama diving show

Mikimoto Pearl Island

ミキモト真珠島 — where cultured pearls were born

The island where Kokichi Mikimoto succeeded in culturing a pearl for the first time anywhere in the world, in 1893. The ama diving show, in which divers in traditional white free-dive as they always have, is not to be missed. The Pearl Museum holds a remarkable collection, including pieces shown at world's fairs.

Hours
8:30–17:30 (varies by season)
Closed
Irregular closing days (check the official site)
Access
12 min walk from Nakanogo Station
Owner's note

The ama show runs several times a day, less often in the colder months. It is also a good place to buy a pearl to take home.

Official site
~12 min walk to the pierBay cruise

Toba Bay Cruise and Dolphin Island

鳥羽湾めぐり — about 50 minutes

An unhurried 50-minute cruise around Toba Bay. The boat, built to resemble the dragon palace of legend, calls at Dolphin Island, where you can meet dolphins and sea lions up close. Feeding the gulls from the deck with prawn crackers is half the fun.

Hours
9:00–16:00 (last departure)
Closed
Open every day
Access
Pier in front of Mikimoto Pearl Island and the aquarium
Owner's note

The Kintetsu Mawaryanse pass bundles this with the aquarium and Pearl Island at a good price. The ticket counter opens 30 minutes before departure.

Official site

By Train

If you take the Kintetsu line a little further.

From Nakanogo Station, both Ise Jingu and Spain Village are comfortable day trips.

~35 min by train and busShrine

Ise Jingu (Naiku and Geku)

伊勢神宮 — the foremost shrine in Japan

The foremost shrine in Japan, often called the spiritual home of the Japanese people. It comprises the Naiku, dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, and the Geku, dedicated to Toyouke Omikami. It is known for the Shikinen Sengu, the rebuilding held every twenty years. Simply walking the approach beneath the great cedars is enough to clear the head.

Hours
5:00–18:00 (varies by season)
Closed
Open every day
Access
Nakanogo, change at Toba, to Iseshi, then the CAN bus to Naiku
Owner's note

Custom is to visit the Geku first, then the Naiku. Early morning is quiet and the atmosphere is at its most solemn. Have lunch at Okage Yokocho afterwards.

Official site
~40 min by train and busStreet food

Okage Yokocho

おかげ横丁 — an Edo-era street to eat your way along

A corner of Oharai-machi, the street that runs from the Uji Bridge at the Naiku. Some fifty shops line a recreated Edo-period townscape, serving Ise udon, tekone-zushi, Akafuku mochi and other local specialities to eat as you walk. The Mie mandarin juice is popular too.

Hours
9:30–17:00 (varies by shop)
Closed
Open every day
Access
Right by the Uji Bridge at the Naiku (combine it with your visit)
Owner's note

Weekends get very busy. A weekday morning is far better for browsing at your own pace. Expect a queue at the main Akafuku shop.

Official site
~40 min by Kintetsu (alight at Ugata)Theme park

Shima Spain Village

Shima Spain Village

A theme park that recreates a Spanish town street for street, with proper flamenco shows and cobbled slopes to wander. The Pyrenees coaster is one of the most popular rides in Mie. There is no shortage of Spanish restaurants either.

Hours
9:30–17:00 (later at weekends and in peak season)
Closed
Irregular closing days
Access
Nakanogo, Kintetsu towards Kashikojima, alight at Ugata, then the free shuttle bus
Owner's note

On a weekday you can get round every ride with barely a queue. Check the official site for days when the coasters are out of service.

Official site

By Car

With a car, the detours are worth it.

A viewpoint on the Pearl Road, and a museum that tells the story of the sea people. Both easy stops along a drive.

~24 min by carViewpoint · Café

Toba Observatory, Ama no Terrace

鳥羽展望台 — 163 m above the sea, on the Pearl Road

A viewpoint 163 metres above the sea on the Pearl Road, the coastal route linking Toba and Shima. The ria coastline and the open horizon lie out in front of you. At the Ama no Terrace café, the Ouchiyama soft serve and the Toba burger are the things to order. On a clear winter day you can sometimes make out Mount Fuji.

Hours
9:30–16:30
Closed
Wednesdays (the following Thursday if that is a public holiday)
Access
On the Pearl Road. Free parking
Owner's note

Note the Wednesday closure. It is also a well-known spot for sunrise, and opens especially early on New Year's Day.

Official site
~25 min by carMuseum

Toba Sea-Folk Museum

Toba Sea-Folk Museum

A museum on a hill looking down over Toba Bay, telling the history and culture of the sea people of Ise-Shima through some 60,000 objects. Children love the research submersible they can actually climb into. The building itself is designed to evoke the hull of a wooden boat.

Hours
9:00–16:30
Closed
Open every day (closed only the first Monday and Tuesday of December)
Access
On the rise above Toba Bay. Free parking
Owner's note

The architecture, shaped after the hull of a wooden boat, is superb. The displays are substantial, and hardly anyone knows about it.

Official site
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