Japan is Nippon 日本語
Green headlands and the Pacific Ocean seen from Toba Observatory on the Pearl Road
Photo: tozanka, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mie · viewpoint

Toba Observatory Ama Terrace

鳥羽展望台 海女のテラス

A hilltop lookout on the Pearl Road coastal drive between Toba and Shima, over the Pacific horizon, a jagged coast and the waters where ama divers work.

The Pearl Road winding through green hills below Toba Observatory
Photo: Good-balance, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ozukumi Island and a small lighthouse in the sea seen from Toba Observatory
Photo: Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Pacific lookout on the Pearl Road

Toba Observatory sits along the Pearl Road, the coastal road linking Toba City and Shima City in Mie Prefecture. According to the official website it stands on high ground about 162m above sea level, with the Pacific horizon and an intricate ria coastline spread out in front of you.

It is a good spot to watch the sun rise over the horizon, and it is especially busy on New Year's Day, when people come to see hatsuhinode, the first sunrise of the year. In winter, when the air is clear, you can sometimes see Mount Fuji in the distance.

Looking down on the ama's fishing grounds

Ama are women who free-dive for abalone, seaweed and other catches. The area around Kuzaki, where the observatory stands, has long been a centre of ama diving. It is said that for about 2,000 years, noshi-awabi (dried abalone) from here has been offered every year to Amaterasu Omikami, the deity enshrined at Ise Jingu.

From the observatory you can look down on the ama fishing grounds on the rocky shore below, and sometimes even see ama diving.

Ama Terrace café and shop

The snack bar that used to be at the observatory was renovated, and in December 2022 it reopened as Ama Terrace, a café and souvenir shop. Inside or on the terrace, you can look out to sea while eating sandwiches and sweets made with ingredients from Ise-Shima and Mie, such as Ise lobster, oysters and Matsusaka beef.

The shop sells local souvenirs, including jewellery made with Akoya pearls cultivated in Ise-Shima, seaweed and local sake. It is also suggested that you take food away and eat it on the lawn about a 5-minute walk away.

Getting there

The usual way is by car: about 40 to 50 minutes from Ise Interchange on the Ise Expressway via the Pearl Road. From Toba Station (JR and Kintetsu), it is about 25 minutes by taxi.

There is also a local bus from Toba Station, but it runs only on Saturdays and Sundays, a few times a day. Check the café and shop's opening hours and regular closing days on the official website.

Tips

  • It is hard to reach by public transport. The realistic option is to stop here while driving the Pearl Road from Toba.
  • It may close temporarily without notice depending on the weather.
  • On clear winter mornings you have a chance of seeing the sun rise over the horizon and Mount Fuji in the distance.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

Mie · theme park Shima Spain Village (Parque España) 志摩スペイン村 A seaside theme park in Ise-Shima recreating Spanish plazas and lanes, with flamenco by Spanish dancers, a suspended coaster and paella.
Mie · shrine Futami Okitama Shrine 二見興玉神社 A seaside shrine at Futamiura, Ise, famed for the rope-linked Meoto Iwa rocks, where pilgrims once purified themselves before visiting Ise Grand Shrine.
Mie · viewpoint Yokoyama Observatory 横山展望台 A lookout in Ise-Shima National Park over the 60 or so islets and jagged coast of Ago Bay, home of pearl farming, with a café to rest in by the view.
Mie · shrine Ise Jingu Naiku (Inner Shrine) 皇大神宮（伊勢神宮 内宮） Ise Jingu's Inner Shrine, sometimes called the spiritual home of the Japanese, honours sun goddess Amaterasu. Cross the Isuzu River and walk the forest path.
Mie · old town Okage Yokocho おかげ横丁 A lane recreating the Edo-to-Meiji streets of Ise by the Inner Shrine. Snack on Ise udon and local sweets and soak up the mood of an old Ise pilgrimage.
Mie · shrine Ise Grand Shrine Geku (Toyouke Daijingu) 豊受大神宮（伊勢神宮 外宮） By custom, a visit to Ise Jingu begins here at the Geku, home of the god who prepares Amaterasu's meals, offered morning and evening for some 1,500 years.