Ise-Shima: Experiencing a Lifestyle Close to Nature

The Ise-Shima area of Mie Prefecture is best known for its beautiful, indented coastline. But recently it's been in the news for another reason: it is the venue for the 42nd Group of Seven meeting, which is being hosted by Japan this year. In this edition of Journeys in Japan, Sonia del Campo begins her journey on Kashiko-jima, a popular resort island which is where the G7 summit takes place. The island is also famous because this bay was the birthplace of modern pearl cultivation 110 years ago. Sonia goes out on a leisure boat to see the local bay with its pearl farms. She also visits a long-established pearl shop. Next she travels to the town of Minami Ise. Since ancient times, people here have lived in this beautiful area, drawing on the bounty of the ocean and the mountains. Some ten years ago, the town launched a special program, offering visitors the chance to meet some of the local people and get a close-up look at their daily lives. Sonia goes out with a fisherman to see how he catches his seafood. She helps a farmer harvest fruit in his citrus orchard. And she joins in a group of people who are making a traditional charcoal kiln. She discovers the beauty and charms of the Ise-Shima region - and the age-old lifestyle of the local communities.