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The lighting in the showroom was casting little snowflakes on some of the pics. I have to say I was kind of loving the effect.

Can you find the needle in the pearl-stack? The needles are specially crafted for them as they need a unique size of needle as well as thread to work with the tiny keshi. Before this, they used horse hair for needles. The craftsmen who make these needles are also a part of the essential...

Mr. Shah came into the business in 1985. For 50 years, they started collecting keshi and selling only what they needed to survive. With whatever money they made, they would purchase more keshi. He and his father had the same vision. They have controlled their buying and have an exemplary stock...

Mr. Sundeep Shah is the face behind the company that began with his father. Born and raised in Japan, but Indian by origin. His father came to Japan in 1956 to work for his uncle who was a pearl dealer. He immediately fell in love with the country and the people and knew this is where he would...

Day 5. It was a free day today! We went our separate ways for the day. Several people traveled to Nara to experience the Deer Park. Although I don’t remember a lot about it other than the deer roaming freely, I did experience the park when I was younger. I really wanted to go shopping. I love...

Day 5. We hopped on a van and journeyed out to Mikimoto Island. This will be a short post because I did a pretty deep dive into Mikimoto Pearl Island a few years ago in the thread titled “A Visit to Mikimoto Pearl Island”. The rest stops here are large and almost like a strip mall. I love the...

Some sorting cards (with the help of Google Translate) that represent the sorting process. Blemishes Luster Shape Nacre We were able to walk to our new hotel from here. It’s conveniently located across from the Japan Pearl Fair Venue. Our hosts are now on their way to prepare for the...

We are taken to a room where they are half drilling small pearls to be used for rings and earrings. I noticed several personal items in each worker’s station- from fans, humidifiers and cute trinkets. In the next room we visited, the workers were focused on sorting.

Day 4 began with a check out from our hotel and a short flight from Nagasaki to Kobe, The City of Pearls. Kobe will be our final destination where we will do some day trips and attend the Japan Pearl Fair. After arriving at the Kobe airport, we traveled by taxi to Otsuki Pearl. Otsuki Pearl is...

Day 4. My photos are not wanting to load or air drop into my ipad tonight, so I will take this opportunity to introduce the group. This is totally borrowed from Jeremy’s introductions. Tracey Ellison- The Diamonds Girl Tracey Ellison, known as The Diamonds Girl, is one of the world’s leading...

We end with a walk through the Peace Park before heading to our new location. There are strands of 1000 cranes everywhere The representation in this monument- the right hand points to the sky and atomic weapons, the left hand is extended for peace, and the eyes are closed in prayers for the...

This has been a full day and our final destination is a somber one. We visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park. I took several photos inside, but I will leave you with only a few…

Our next destination is the Government Building. A fairly new facility, it has a spanning view of the city and sea. We are huddled around a display in the lobby where we meet again with Mr. Fujita. His pearls are proudly on display as recipients of the Govenor’s Award this year. The loose pearls...

This farm also had a young generation on staff. The owner’s daughter and son are grafters and are giving the Governor instructions on the nucleating process. And the Governor gives it a try. Being a surgeon, he is already equipped with some surgical skills.

Our walk behind the building takes us to the farm. The oysters in this area are receiving a special circulating treatment to relax them before the nucleation process. And who can resist a pic of the farm cat-