A Peek into the Pearl Culture of Mie Prefecture

Delicate operation: inserting the nucleus that will eventually become a pearl into the open shell of an oyster.

Akoya oysters develop in pairs in nets suspended below pearl rafts.

Inoue Hikaru’s family has been culturing pearls in Mie Prefecture for three generations.

A technician carries out the delicate task of inserting the nucleus into an oyster.

Oyster rafts float on Ago Bay.

from left: An Juvenile oyster; An oyster reveals the stunning colors within its shell.

Women workers chip marine growth from the exteriors of oyster shells.

Mie farmers pursue perfection in the lustrous spheres their oysters produce.

Inoue Hikaru’s pearl rafts float on the placid waters of Ago Bay.