Hotels in Shima

Shima: Pearl Coast of the Ise-Shima Peninsula

Shima sits at the southeastern tip of Mie Prefecture, roughly 90 km south of Nagoya by limited express train. The city's deeply indented ria coastline — formed by rising sea levels after the last ice age — creates hundreds of small inlets across Ago Bay, the center of Japan's cultured pearl industry. Mikimoto Kōichi pioneered pearl cultivation here in the late 19th century, and the bay still produces a significant share of the country's Akoya pearls. The surrounding forests and tidal flats fall within Ise-Shima National Park, designated in 1946.

Where to Stay

Most hotels cluster around Kashikojima, the southern hub of Ago Bay, and along the Goza and Hamajima shorelines. Ryokan guests at properties near the water can watch ama (female freediving fishers) return with shellfish in the mornings. The Shima Kanko Hotel on Kashikojima hosted G7 leaders in May 2016, raising the area's international profile.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: The Kintetsu Shimakaze limited express connects Nagoya to Kashikojima in about 2 hours.
• Best season: Late April to June for calm seas; typhoon risk rises in September.
• Pearl shopping: The Ago Bay Pearl Road has licensed dealers with grading certificates.
• Ama shows: Demonstrations run daily at Hachiman Kamado near Goza between April and November.