Pearl Oyster Opening Experience

Why choose this activity?

• Hands-on experience: extract a real Akoya pearl yourself from a live oyster.
• Create a meaningful keepsake: choose fittings and have your pearl made into a custom accessory on the spot (pendant, strap, brooch, etc.).
• Unique to Ise-Shima, the birthplace of Japan’s cultured pearls — a rare cultural and sensory experience.

Available language: English

Activity type: Hands-on experience / souvenir creation

Duration: approx. 40 minutes (pearl extraction ~20 min + accessory processing ~20 min)

Meeting point: Kikuchi Pearl, Ise City, Mie Prefecture

What is the Pearl Oyster Opening Experience?

The Pearl Extraction Experience invites you to step into the world of Japan’s cultured pearls and discover the hidden inside a live Akoya oyster. You’ll begin by selecting an oyster from a water-tank nurtured with care in Ise’s rich marine environment. Under guidance, you’ll gently open the shell and extract the pearl — a moment full of anticipation and joy as you reveal a gem that has grown over years beneath the sea.

Once the pearl emerges, it becomes yours to cherish. You can choose how to transform it into a custom accessory — such as a pendant, brooch, or strap — selected from a variety of fittings, then finished by skilled craftsmen right on site. In about 40 minutes, you’ll walk away with your own one-of-a-kind keepsake that sparkles with your personal story and the beauty of the sea.

Pearl culture in Japan

Pearls are formed over approximately 1,500 days through the patient work of nature and skilled cultivation — beginning when an Akoya oyster is implanted with a nucleus and nurtured in clean coastal waters for years. This experience goes beyond simply creating a souvenir, offering insight into the process behind pearl cultivation, from the sea to the finished gem. Participants gain a better understanding of the techniques, time, and care involved in Japanese pearl production, a tradition closely associated with the Ise–Shima region.

What happens during the activity?

1. Welcome & Introduction — Begin with a brief explanation of Akoya pearls and oysters.
2. Choose Your Oyster — Select a live Akoya oyster from the tank.
3. Extract the Pearl — Use the provided tool to carefully open the oyster and reveal your pearl.
4. Design Your Accessory — Pick your favorite metal fitting (pendant, strap, brooch, etc.) and have your pearl assembled into a piece of jewelry.
5. Take Home Your Creation — Finish with your unique keepsake, ready to wear or gift.

Additional Information

Suitable for individuals and small groups; children ages 6 and up are welcome — younger children should be accompanied by an adult.

What’s Included:

• Pearl extraction experience fee
• Guided explanation and tools for opening the oyster
• On-site accessory finishing by craftsmen (metal fitting fee is included up to a certain price)

What’s Not Included:

• Transportation to/from the meeting point
• Optional additional premium metal fittings beyond base choices

Cancellation Policy:

• Up to 7 days before: Full refund
• Between 7 days and 5:00 PM the day before: 50% cancellation fee
• After 5:00 PM the day before or on the day: Non-refundable

Hotel pick-up: Not provided

※ Things to know before booking

The experience does not allow taking the pearl home without accessory processing.