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Ise-Shima NP, Mie
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The noshi decoration on celebratory gifts traces back to real dried abalone. In nearby Kuzaki, abalone for Ise Shrine offerings is peeled into a ribbon 3–4 m long, then dried; the museum preserves tools used for this tradition.
The museum displays Hakugei-go (“White Whale”), a submersible completed in 1958 by Kamishima-born inventor Toyokichi Fujiwara. It could move along the seabed and later helped survey sites for the Seikan Tunnel and Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.
At nearby Shirahama, archaeologists found abalone shells and a deer-antler tool thought to pry abalone from rocks—evidence of prehistoric diving harvests on this coast. The museum displays finds from the site alongside later fishing gear.
Local ama divers traditionally wear two protective signs: the one-stroke star, seiman, is believed to help a diver return safely; the lattice, doman, is said to leave spirits no way in. The museum shows these marks on ama gear.
The museum’s 6,879 nationally designated folk-cultural objects include 792 tools for making or repairing fishing gear and 186 objects used in religious rites. The collection preserves the craft and beliefs surrounding fishing, not just the catch.
One seine in the nationally designated collection stretches 1,000 m. Another standout is a large shibi tuna net made of straw, a rare surviving type—remarkable evidence of the ingenuity and scale of traditional fishing.
About 80 wooden boats from around Japan rest in the museum’s boat storehouse. Shipwrights chose woods such as cedar, cypress, pine and oak to build sturdy vessels suited to fishing; fiberglass boats have made that craft rare.
Wooden boats need humid air, so their storehouse uses a traditional tamped-earth floor that absorbs and releases moisture to help regulate humidity around 70%. An everyday building technique now helps conserve museum vessels.
When the museum opened on December 7, 1971, it also launched SOS—“Save Our Sea”—speaking out about oil pollution, factory wastewater and chemicals. It began collecting fishing heritage and campaigning for a healthier sea side by side.
Alongside its physical objects, the museum catalogs 88,998 audio-visual records: 8- and 16-mm films, videotapes, slides, photo prints and audio tapes. The archive preserves a record of sea life beyond the tools and boats.
