Japan Pearl Tour and the 7th Japan Pearl Fair hosted by the Japan Pearl Exporters Association

[jeg]

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 the largest pearl processing company in Japan. The company was founded in 1930.

In 1922, Kikuo Otsuki, the founder of the Otsuki Pearl Company, developed the spherical pearl formation technique which made it possible to cultivate perfectly round, large sized pearls.

 

[jeg]

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.

 

[jeg]

 

[jeg]

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 event and our group will gather in a few hours for dinner before calling it a day.