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Ise-Shima NP, Mie
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Jiro Rokuro Beach has sand brought from the seabed off Shikoku, with beaches facing both north and south. It is Ago Bay’s only swimming beach, though most of the year the site is used for seaweed farming.
The pearl rafts visible from Tomoyama sit in a bay central to pearl history. Mikimoto began raising Akoya oysters here to protect them from overharvesting, then developed round cultured pearls at Tatoku Island after his 1893 half-pearl breakthrough at Toba.
The park’s “Tomoyama Desert” is a patch of low scrub near Kirigaki Viewpoint. Strong winds and salt damage keep plants close to the ground, making this dry landscape a striking contrast to Ago Bay’s lush, evergreen islands.
From January to April, aosa seaweed grows on nets across Ago Bay, turning the water bright green. Mie leads Japan in aosa production, with Shima producing especially large amounts; the fragrant seaweed is enjoyed in miso soup and tempura.
Among the tools collected at the nearby Jiro Rokuro archaeological site are early-Jomon stemmed points and partly polished stone axes. They are small reminders that people were using this scenic stretch of coast long before pearl rafts appeared.
At Jiro Rokuro’s southern cliff, rounded pebbles in the exposed layers mark an ancient riverbed. The same cliff shows iron-rich limonite and a charcoal layer, possibly left by a long-ago wildfire or campfire.
Jiro Rokuro’s sand can serve as a wildlife noticeboard: Shima City’s park guide points out wild-boar footprints and hare droppings. A beach stroll here can turn into a little track-and-trace lesson.
Around the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun sets near the entrance to Ago Bay from Kirigaki Viewpoint. Tomoyama’s outlook also brings the bay’s intricate coastline and forested islands unusually close.
