On August 12th, on the third morning since departing, I left the inn around 9:00 AM and headed to a nearby beach. In the morning, there were two other families besides me at the beach. One man was practicing surfing on a surfboard. He exclaimed to a family in the distance with a smile, “It’s surprisingly difficult!” This place is called “Miu Da Hama,” one of “Japan’s Top 100 Beaches,” pronounced similarly to “Muda” in the “Bermuda Triangle.”
Next, I stopped by a shop where there was a capsule toy machine for Akoya pearls. The machine was set up by a representative of the company I work for. That representative and I collaborate to operate this capsule toy machine. I mainly handle tasks like drilling holes in pearls and creating promotional materials like signage. While I’m not well-versed in how Akoya pearls are perceived overseas, I believe that in Japan, pearls are often associated with a formal image.
As a member of a company that runs a pearl cultivation farm and produces Akoya pearls every year, I want as many people as possible to enjoy Akoya pearls. Despite the perception of Akoya pearls being expensive, this capsule toy machine offers pearl accessories for just 1000 yen. It’s a game-like experience where you can purchase lovely pearl accessories. Even if someone isn’t initially interested in pearls, I hope they can learn about the allure of pearls through this capsule toy experience.
Afterward, I visited the “Toyohodai Battery Site.” I wasn’t particularly interested in this place, but I found it on Google Maps and decided to check it out. Later, I learned from an acquaintance that the well-preserved battery site in trench form is quite rare. Japan constructed this battery after World War I to block the strait between this island and the mainland as part of military expansion efforts.
The interior of the cave-like battery site was cool and a bit eerie.
Then, I headed to what I stumbled upon on Google Maps as the “Farthest Northwestern Point in Japan.” It took me over an hour to get there. However, the journey offered only beautiful natural scenery, making me thoroughly satisfied just by riding my motorcycle. This point also hosts the “Tsushima Yamaneko Center.” The Tsushima wildcat, called Tsushima Yamaneko, inhabits only this island and is an endangered species.
I’ve been visiting this island for nearly a decade, but I’ve never seen one in person. Even among the employees of the pearl cultivation farm, very few have seen the real thing. While the Yamaneko Center houses actual Tsushima Yamaneko, when I visited, they were inside a hut, facing away from me and sleeping.
Next, I spent an hour traveling to a harbor in the southern part of the island to pick up two acquaintances. They are my Chinese language teacher and her sister. When I mentioned that I was heading to the pearl cultivation farm on the island by motorcycle, my Chinese teacher exclaimed, “I want to see the pearl cultivation farm too!” While I reached the island by motorcycle and ferry, they arrived via plane and ferry. We met at the harbor. I switched from my motorcycle to a rental car at the harbor and, with the two of them, headed to the pearl cultivation farm. The manager of the Akoya pearl cultivation farm wasn’t feeling well, but he graciously took the three of us on a boat trip to the fishing grounds.
Since my teacher and her sister come from areas without seas in China, they were incredibly excited, almost jumping with joy. The fishing grounds are about the size of 80 Tokyo Domes, so exploring it all was impossible, but a 30-minute tour was a fantastic experience for my teacher and her sister. As they already loved pearls, hearing from the farm’s manager about how Akoya pearls are cultured and formed only deepened their affection for pearls. As someone involved in providing pearls, I’m strongly interested in these matters too. Among pearl enthusiasts, there are those who are curious about the pearl cultivation process and the journey pearls take to come into existence. For such individuals, I hope to share my knowledge about pearl cultivation. Understanding the pearl cultivation process might change one’s perspective on perfectly round pearls and even foster an appreciation for baroque pearls. As these pearls are products of living creatures known as Akoya oysters, I wish to receive them with care and love. Also, I would like those who receive and offer pearls to gain a bit of knowledge and develop a deeper fondness for pearls.
In the evening, after leaving the pearl cultivation farm, we checked into our hotel. For the two people visiting the island for the first time, I took them to the most highly-rated restaurant on the island. Since it was the summer vacation season throughout Japan, I thought we’d need a reservation, but due to a last-minute cancellation by a group of travelers, we managed to secure a table. Perhaps the cancellation was due to a large typhoon heading toward Osaka on that day. This restaurant offers delicious fish dishes sourced from the island, along with a wide variety of other cuisines like Sichuan dishes, pizza, yakitori, and pasta. Regardless of the dish ordered, the quality is consistently high.
While I’ve worked at restaurants in the past, I always wonder about the sourcing strategy of this particular establishment. Anyway, my Chinese teacher and her sister were incredibly satisfied with the food. I had informed them beforehand that while we could get close to the pearl cultivation farm, touring the fishing grounds by boat would be challenging. However, thanks to the farm manager’s arrangement, they were able to board a boat, and they were genuinely thrilled. Even while eating dinner, they were excited about the fact that they were able to tour the fishing grounds by boat. Although it was only 9:00 PM when we returned to the hotel, I was relieved that these two individuals had a chance to see the cultivation farm, and I fell asleep immediately.
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