Mikimoto Pearl Island

Has anyone been? Is it worth visiting?
Can you go at this time of the year?
If you go on the island do you get to see the women dive or do you need to do a package tour? If you can go privately how do I find out what time the divers dive? I have looked at the website but not a lot of information about what to do on the island or a timetable.
Is it 1500 yen to get on the island?
Any information would be great.

Thanks
Ann

Yes, I have been there, and I was positively surprised. I found the museum about pearls very detailed and interesting.

Can you go at this time of the year?

Yes. It is open around the year, and the women are diving even in winter.

If you go on the island do you get to see the women dive or do you need to do a package tour?

Everybody can see the divers without any kind of reservation or tour. Performances are hourly as explained here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4306.html

Is it 1500 yen to get on the island?

Yes.

//Has anyone been? Is it worth visiting?

Sort of. It is a bit B-grade. The ladies are good and museum was suprisingly better than expected, but it was not really worth the money. I suggest going to Ise and making a day of it. The Mikimoto island took about us about an hour.

See our page on our day trip at http://www.michaelpam.com/Japancities/IseMikimoto.html.

//Can you go at this time of the year?
Not sure - Already answered


//If you go on the island do you get to see the women dive or do you need to do a package tour?
There is a board posted how often the shows are. When we were there they happened every 40 minutes or so. We had lunch and waited for the show.


//Is it 1500 yen to get on the island?
Yes

Cheers

Michael

worth a visit.

Plan to stay for at least 1/2 day.

eat sashimi fresh at the ekinamae shops.

mikimoto island is beautiful and picturesque.

it you are shopping, allocate 2-3 hours more bec. lots of selection.

they sell mikimoto make up too. expensive bec. made up of real pearls.

I loved my visit there and would go back again in the future.

. . . is one of the most immaculately maintained tourist attractions I've seen.

The same could be said of shrines in Shikoku, for some reason.

To amuse yourself at the island, try to find the most expensive piece of jewelry in the Mikimoto side of the store (most tourists browse the cheaper side). The day I went it was a $40,000 necklace.