Abalone from the Ama Diving of Toba and Shima

Abalone is a traditional premium ingredient gathered by ama divers free diving in the seas of Toba and Shima in Mie Prefecture. The ama diving of Ise Shima has a long history, and the skill and culture of diving to gather each one by hand continue to this day. Abalone that grows sturdily among the rocks offers a uniquely firm bite and a deep flavor with concentrated sea aroma. Since ancient times it has also been treasured as an offering to the shrine.

Highlights

Abalone can be enjoyed in many forms, as sashimi, grilled live, or as a steak. Fresh sashimi offers a springy texture and refined sweetness, while odori yaki, grilled live on a net, sends up a sea aroma that whets the appetite. A steak finished in butter turns tender and brings out the shellfishs richness. At facilities offering an ama hut experience, you can spend a special moment tasting charcoal grilled seafood while listening to the divers stories.

Enjoying the Seasons

Abalone is mainly harvested in summer, which is considered its peak. During the active diving season you can taste freshly gathered abalone. Enjoying abalone dishes alongside coastal scenery is a luxury unique to Ise Shima. At ama huts you can also taste other seasonal seafood such as Ise lobster, turban shells, and dried fish.

Access and Basic Information

The Toba and Shima area centers on Kintetsu Toba and Kashikojima stations, with restaurants and ama hut experience facilities dotting the coast. From the Nagoya direction, reach Toba by Kintetsu limited express or JR, and from the Osaka direction by Kintetsu limited express. Ama hut facilities are often set a little away from the ports, so a shuttle or travel by car can be convenient. It is convenient to visit alongside Ise Shima sightseeing.

Practical Travel Notes

• As a premium ingredient, abalone carries a fitting price even as a single dish. Ama hut experience plans often include a course of charcoal grilled seafood featuring abalone.
• Ama hut experiences and restaurants serving abalone are frequently reservation only, and they are especially popular in the summer peak and on weekends, so planning early brings peace of mind.
• At eateries and direct-sale shops near the ports, you can sometimes enjoy Ise Shima seafood such as turban shells and dried fish affordably alongside abalone.
• Toba and Shima have many attractions such as aquariums, sightseeing boats, and facilities introducing ama culture, so you can spend a day touching ama culture alongside an abalone meal.

A Quick Tip

As a premium ingredient, it helps to reserve or inquire ahead at restaurants. The ama hut experience is very popular, so planning early is recommended. Comparing preparations, the sweetness of sashimi, the fragrance of odori yaki, and the tenderness of a steak, is part of the pleasure.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Season and fishing period: Abalone diving by the ama women is at its height from early summer through summer, and this is regarded as the season for it. Under the Mie Prefecture Fishery Adjustment Regulations, taking abalone is prohibited from September 15 to December 31.
• Resource management rules: Abalone with a shell length of 10.6 centimeters or less may not be taken. Mie Prefecture also carries out resource management measures such as releasing juvenile shellfish. Ise-ebi (Japanese spiny lobster), which is often enjoyed alongside abalone, may not be taken from May 1 to September 30 (from May 1 to September 15 in the waters north of the outlying island areas of Toba City), and those with a carapace length of 4.2 centimeters or less may not be taken either.
• Main areas where it is served: Ama hut experience facilities and eateries in Toba City and Shima City. At an ama hut you can enjoy not only abalone but also spiny lobster, turban shells and dried fish grilled over charcoal.
• Access: The bases are Toba Station on the Kintetsu Toba Line and the JR Sangu Line, and Kashikojima Station on the Kintetsu Shima Line. Many ama hut experience facilities are located some distance from the stations, so a pick-up service or your own car is convenient.
• Important note (the law): Abalone is designated a \"specified aquatic animal or plant\" under the Fisheries Act, and members of the public (recreational fishers) may not take it. Violations are punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million yen. Taking aquatic animals and plants covered by communal fishing rights, such as Ise-ebi, asari clams and hamaguri clams, is also an infringement of fishing rights and is punishable by a fine of up to 1 million yen. Even if you spot them on the rocky shore, leave them alone and enjoy them only at licensed restaurants and experience facilities.

Note: Opening hours and prices at individual restaurants vary from establishment to establishment. Many ama hut experiences require reservations, so please check in advance.

(Sources: Mie Prefecture official website, \"Fishery Adjustment: Mie Prefecture Fishery Adjustment Regulations (size limits, etc.),\" \"Rules for Recreational Fishing at Sea\" and \"Fish Encyclopedia: Abalone Taken by Ama Divers\")