Shima, Mie - The Basics

As I said in my last post, my assignment from Interec has been as one of the four English teachers in Shima, Mie, Japan. Since that is one of the places I didn't get to on my tour with Gina (we went for the Ninja Village in the west of Shima, but it was closed for the New Year), I thought that I'd look up some info on the area. Shall we begin our tour? Yes, lets!

Anyone who knows Mie knows it for two things: oysters and pearls. This lovely little area is set on the Pacific side of Japan's lower half and has a distinguishing feature, the nicely curved Ago bay, where most of the oyster farms are located. Of course the city's webpage has a list of interesting tourist locations (various hot springs, bridges, and lighthouses), special foods from the area (including tiger puffer fish and Ise ebi lobsters), and a list of festivals (including the "Splash Seawater at Others" Festival which I will be sure to join in!). The Japan National Tourism Organization had this to say about Shima:

The Shima-hanto Peninsula is situated at the eastern edge of the Kii-hanto Peninsula. It juts out straight into the Pacific Ocean from central Mie. It has a complex saw-toothed coastline with a number of bays and inlets, including Matoya Bay, famous for cultured oysters, and Ago Bay, often called the "Aegean Sea of Japan." The entire peninsula, with its diverse coastline, is designated as Ise-Shima National Park. It is an internationally famous sightseeing spot, along with Ise-jingu Shrine.Ago Bay, located in the southern Shima-hanto Peninsula, has over 60 islets of various size. It is famous as the first place in the world to have produced cultured pearls. The sight of the pearl rafts floating on the calm sea is truly impressive. It is also called "Bay of Pearls." You can also enjoy the view of Ago Bay from the sea aboard a pleasure boat on the Espana Cruise that starts from the largest islet in the bay, Kashiko-jima Island.There is a theme park called Shima Spain-mura Village, which reproduces famous places and townscapes of Spain. Visitors can sample the charms of Spain in the buildings, food and parades, and enjoy the rides at the amusement park. It is always packed with people of all ages.

Thank you, JNTO.

And, luckily, Shima's bay comes with an array of beaches. Most notable is the Goza Shirahama beach, whose white sandy beaches and lovely waters made it one of the  the “100 Selected Comfortable Beaches.” (see below)

The area is definitely rural, with a small population of around 53,000 it is smaller than the city of Casper, Wyoming by about 2,000 people. I've been told that it is very quiet and pretty, but that public transportation to larger cities require a great many connections and transfers. True, I will have a car, but perhaps staying in town will be better until I adjust to my life over there.

For all those who are interested in more about the bay, I now present you with this youtube clip: