When visiting the Ise-Shima area of Mie Prefecture, you absolutely shouldn't miss a ride on the Spanish-style sightseeing ship Esperanza at Kashikojima. Modeled after a 16th-century carrack from the Age of Exploration, this sightseeing ship has a magnificent retro design. Once aboard, it feels like you've stepped into the anime world of One Piece, and you can't help wanting to shout, “海賊王かいぞくおうにおれはなる！”
During the 50-minute voyage, the ship cruises slowly and smoothly around Ago Bay, which has more than 60 islands. You can enjoy the scenery while learning about pearl rafts and the submerged coastline. Feeling the sea breeze on the deck or watching the sunset from the open-air seating is still romantic.
Before or after the cruise, the many modern, diverse, and traditional pearl shops around Kashikojima Station are also great spots for taking commemorative photos, making this cruise a beautiful and precious memory, like a pearl.
Kashikojima Espana Cruise | Review by 周黛西
Other Reviews by 周黛西
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Kashikojima
Kashikojima, where the Ise-Shima Summit was held in 2016, is an island floating in Ago Bay in the southern Shima Peninsula, with the unique location of being just Approx. 10 m from the mainland of Honshu. It is also widely known for having Kashikojima Station, the terminal station of the Kintetsu Shima Line. Beloved as one of Japan’s leading resort destinations for its calm sea views, this compact island of Approx. 0.68 sq km is dotted with a variety of leisure facilities.
Cute otters can be seen everywhere at Kashikojima Station. Next to the platform is the “Shima no Kaze” mailbox, which is also cute and eye-catching.
Kashikojima feels like a sparsely populated, slow-paced little town. Without the noise of tourists, you can enjoy the tranquility of the seaside, which is really nice!
Besides the pearl shops around town, what left a strong impression on me was the “Ago Kashikojima Post Office.” I picked out a pearl-oyster-shaped postcard there and mailed it to myself, leaving me with a beautiful and precious, pearl-like memory of the trip. -
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Ama hut Osatsu Kamado
Kamado is a hut where ama divers rest after a hard day's work. Ama divers welcome tourists to talk about their stories, while having fresh seafood and snacks. It is a great opportunity to learn authentic ama culture.
When visiting Toba, stepping into an ama hut, the most direct experience is sitting by the charcoal fire and enjoying local seafood. Fish, turban shells, octopus, and other shellfish are served one after another, slowly grilled over charcoal by the ama divers. With little seasoning needed, you can taste the seafood's natural sweetness and the subtle saltiness of the sea. After the meal, there is also sea urchin rice made by the ama divers and miso soup with grilled mochi, simple but flavorful.
More than the seafood itself, what left the strongest impression was the warm, friendly interaction with the ama divers and experiencing this traditional fishing culture through them. Seeing how they treasure every ingredient also gives you a better understanding of the hardships of their work and the value of marine resources. After the meal, stepping outside to enjoy the sea breeze and look at the clear water, this visit to the ama hut was not just about tasting seafood, but also gaining a deeper understanding of the local culture. -
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Onigajo
A scenic spot designated as a National Natural Monument and also registered as a World Heritage Site. Massive rock walls, shaped by natural phenomena over tens of thousands of years including seismic uplift, weathering, and wave erosion, stretch for Approx. 1.2 km, and their overwhelming scale is sure to impress everyone. A promenade has been developed along the rock walls, allowing visitors to admire the scattered caves and unusual rock formations up close.
Onigajo in Kumano is a magnificent natural wonder sculpted over tens of millions of years. Crustal uplift, prolonged weathering, and coastal erosion created massive rock walls stretching about 1.2 km, with layers of raised rock shelves, sharp and rugged formations, and sea caves of all sizes. They look as though they were carved by demons wielding giant axes, making for a visually stunning sight.
It is also one of the component sites of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range World Heritage Site and is designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. Walking along the coastal trail, the deep blue Kumano Sea contrasts sharply with the dark gray rock walls. Waves crash against the shore with heart-pounding force, the sea breeze carries a salty scent, and beneath my feet are rocks worn down over the years. I carefully made my way along, gripping the rock wall as if walking on thin ice.
From the Oni-no-Miharashidai lookout, you can gaze out over the expansive rock terrace known as Senjojiki and other sights. With the sea and sky blending into one, you can feel the immense power of nature even more, inspiring a sense of awe. The legend of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro defeating pirates adds another layer of mystery and a rugged sense of history to this unusual rocky coastline. Exploring the entire area takes about 90 minutes round trip, so come and fully enjoy the extraordinary beauty created by nature. -
