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East of Osaka and Nara, on the far side of the Kii Peninsula, a small knuckle of land sticks out into the ocean. Known as the Shima Hanto , this peninsula has been designated a national park , partly for its natural beauty but also because it contains Japan's spiritual heartland, Ise-jingu . Since the fourth century the Grand Shrine of Ise, on the edge of Ise town, has been venerated as the terrestrial home of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, from whom all Japanese emperors are descended. Unfortunately, there's not a great deal to see, but if you're passing through Ise it's worth making a brief excursion, joining the reverent throng of Japanese tourists who try to make a pilgrimage here at least once in their lifetimes. Beyond Ise it's pearl country. The world-famous Mikimoto company started up in Toba when an enterprising restaurant owner discovered the art of cultivating pearls. Now there's a whole island dedicated to his memory, including a surprisingly interesting museum. Most of today's pearls are raised further east in Ago-wan , where hundreds of rafts are tethered in a beautiful, island-speckled bay.
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