Toba, located along the coastline in Mie Prefecture, is a quiet and gorgeous place to visit in Japan. This city is a part of the greater Ise-Shima National Park with lovely nature, seafood, and coastline views.
Toba is not on the typical Japan itinerary as it’s a few hours away by train from the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto. Yet it has incredible things to do and is perfect for first time visitors looking for local cultural experiences, beautiful views, and seeing ocean animals and marine life up close.
We visited Mie Prefecture for a few days and spent a full day in Toba. We wished we had another day or two to explore the area fully. We loved how this place isn’t overly crowded compared to other cities in Japan.
To help with your planning, we put together a list of what to do in Toba so you can visit on your next trip. Most attractions are near Toba Station, so it’s within walking distance. But others will require a bus ride or a car.
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Map
Click on the map to see a larger version of places to visit in Toba. Credit: Map data: Google
1. Take a photo of the “Heart Toba” sign at the Toba Castle Ruins (Shiroyama Park).
The red heart and large white letters of TOBA sit at the top of Toba Castle Ruins at Shiroyama Park (城山公園 鳥羽城跡). This is a popular photo spot to capture the ocean coastline and the Toba sign.
I tried to be the letter I so the sign can read, I Heart Toba.
We loved the large signage as we had a glimpse of the ocean and the blue skies. We took creative liberties with our posing and stood next to the red heart to create an “I” so the sign says “I Heart Toba.”
Note: You’ll need to climb stairs to reach the top of the Castle Ruins.
Address: 3 Chome-4 Toba, Mie 517-0011, Japan
2. Wander through Toba Castle Ruins.
After taking the photo of the “Heart Toba” sign, wander around the castle ruins.
Honestly, there isn’t much to see. The top of the park is where the castle ruins are located, and most castle ruins in Japan look the same. It’s now an open grassy area with small signs on what used to be there.
Here is what to expect when visiting the Toba Castle Ruins
But if you need a place with quietness and nature, then this is an ideal spot to visit. We didn’t see anyone on our visit.
Address: 3 Chome-4 Toba, Mie 517-0011, Japan
3. See ocean animals and marine life at Toba Aquarium.
For those who love animals and marine creatures, Toba Aquarium 鳥羽水族館 is the most famous attraction to visit in Toba. From sea lions and penguins to walruses and capybaras, you’ll have a chance to see these beautiful and playful animals.
School of fish
You can easily spend hours exploring 1200+ species at this aquarium. We spent a few hours here and absolutely loved our time. Click to read our Toba Aquarium review here.
We recommend checking out the daily schedule for the animal feeding and meet and greets. During our time, we saw the sea lion feeding and a walrus meet and greet. There was a penguin march and a sea lion show, but we didn’t get a chance to see them.
Check out the Walrus Meet and Greet show.
Otherwise, take the time to explore each section. You will learn about new animals and marine life you’ve never heard of!
There is an admission fee to enter.
Address: 3 Chome-3-6 Toba, Mie 517-8517, Japan
4. Find a Pokémon manhole cover at Sadahama East Park (Dolphin Park).
Are you a fan of Pokémon? There are manhole covers (also called Poké Lids) with your favorite Pokémon characters across the country. We wrote a blog post on where to find these Poke Lids here.
Sadahama East Park (Dolphin Park) 佐田浜東公園（ドルフィン公園）near Toba Station has one Poké Lid to check out. It’s located behind the water fountain.
The two Pokémons on display are Oshawott & Dewgong. Oshawott is an adorable blue sea otter holding a shell and is the Mie Prefecture Pokémon mascot. Dewgong looks like a dugong, and Serena, the dugong is at the Toba Aquarium. Both characters embody Toba’s environment with the ocean animal theme.
The Pokemon manhole cover is behind this water fountain
Address: 1 Chome Toba, Mie 517-0011, Japan
5. Learn about pearl harvesting at Mikimoto Pearl Island.
Interested in learning about pearl harvesting and the Mikimoto pearl company? Head to Mikimoto Pearl Island ミキモト真珠島 where there is an on-site museum. You also may have a chance to see traditional women (ama divers) go diving for pearls and seafood.
Mikimoto Pearl Island
We didn’t visit this place, but you can check the website for more information. There is an admission fee to enter.
Address: 1-chōme-7 Toba, Mie 517-0011, Japan
6. Shop for the perfect pearl jewelry.
Before or after your visit to Mikimoto Pearl Island, there is a small shopping area with jewelry stores selling pearls. Whether you’re looking for an omiyage (souvenir in Japanese) for yourself or a special loved one, check out these shops.
7. Visit Kata Shrine near Toba Station.
Kata Shrine 賀多神社, built in 724, is a shrine that has cultural masks and costumes from the Momoyama to mid-Edo period. Over 1000 tall cedar trees surround the shrine, with three sacred trees in the area.
The shrine is a 10-minute walk from Toba Station and has a trail leading to Hiyoriyama Observatory, which we’ll mention next…
Address: 2 Chome-9-1 Toba, Mie 517-0011, Japan
8. See lovely ocean views from Hiyoriyama Observatory.
From Kata Shrine, take a short walk up the stairs and through the forest to see the beautiful ocean views of Toba from Hiyoriyama Observatory 日和山展望台.
While we didn’t have a chance to visit, we’ve seen photos of a bell tower and the ocean from this viewpoint, and they look gorgeous.
Address: Japan, 〒517-0011 Mie, Toba, 1 Chome−13, 日 和 山
9. Take the Toba Bay Cruise to visit Dolphin Island.
Dolphin Island is a remote island with dolphins, sea otters, and sea lions. It’s great for children and families to visit. It also has free admission.
But you’ll need to get there via the Toba Bay Cruise.
The cruise operates daily and at least once per hour between 9:00am to 3:00pm. Boarding is at Pearl Island & Toba Aquarium or Toba Marine Terminal.
There is a fee for the cruise. Click here to see the updated pricing for the cruise on the website.
Once you depart from the Toba Bay Cruise, you’ll have a chance to see dolphins, sea otters, and sea lions play. Check the daily schedule on the website here.
Children will love the “dolphin keeper” session and learn about dolphin health checks. You’ll need to inquire if there are sessions available in English.
Many of the activities are free. But some fees are required, such as buying fish to feed the sea lions.
10. Try the local foods – oysters, tekone sushi, and Ise udon.
Toba is one of the top producers of oysters. The best time to eat them is from November to late March, so look out for oysters at the local restaurants.
Tekone sushi is Mie’s local sushi. We tried it at the local restaurant, Nanakoshi Chaya 七越茶屋. The restaurant’s version of tekone sushi is marinated tuna sashimi on top of rice with chopped shiso leaves and ginger. The ginger is freshly grated and has a potent flavor. We liked the dish, but the ginger will be too strong for those who are averse to ginger.
Ise udon is a regional dish. It’s a thicker udon with a soy sauce broth. We also tried this dish at Nanakoshi Chaya 七越茶屋.
Nanakoshi Chaya is a yummy place for lunch in Toba
11. Take a private tour with the ama divers.
If you didn’t get a chance to see the ama divers at Mikimoto Pearl Island, consider doing a private tour with them.
I saw this site offering a 1 day tour with the ama divers, a diving experience, a village tour, and much more. You’ll get the full hands on experience depending on your interest! Learn more here.
Note: I’m not an affiliate of the tour group and haven’t tried the tours, yet they look interesting.
12. If you have a car, drive through the scenic Pearl Road.
Who wants to go on a road trip? Pearl Road is one of the scenic roads to drive through to travel between Toba and Ugata in Mie Prefecture. Expect to drive 23.8 kilometers between the two cities.
The picturesque coastlines and viewpoints are the top highlights of the road trip.
Stop by the Pearl Road Observation Deck 面白展望台 and Toba Tenbodai Observatory (Ama-no-Terrace) 鳥羽展望台 海女のテラス for views. There is a cafe and souvenir shop at the Toba Tendodai Observatory. So the rest area will be suitable for those who want to take a break and stretch their legs.
This road trip is on our bucket list. We took the train around Mie Prefecture and used the Japan Railways Ise-Kumano-Wakayama rail pass.
Addresses:
- Pearl Road Observation Deck: Adakocho, Toba, Mie 517-0033, Japan
- Toba Tendodai Observatory (Ama-no-Terrace): Japan, 〒517-0031 Mie, Toba, Kuzakicho, 字大岳３−３
13. Visit the Toba Sea Folk Museum.
Interested in learning more about the history and culture of the sea? Toba Sea Folk Museum 鳥羽市立海の博物館 would be a fun attraction to visit.
There are permanent displays of fishing materials used, the various seafood in the Toba area, and learn about the ama divers. You’ll get the chance to see 100 wooden boats used for fishing.
A small admission fee is required to visit this museum. Learn more about the museum on the website here.
Address: Japan, 〒517-0025 Mie, Toba, Uramuracho, 大吉１７３１−６８
14. Take a side trip to Ise City.
Ise City borders Toba, so it’s easy to visit as a quick day trip by train or car. Two attractions to visit in Ise are the Ise Grand Shrine and Meota Iwa. We’ll have a blog post on what to do in Ise soon.
Ise Shrine has two areas of interest – Kotai Jingu (Ise Jingu Naiku, Inner Sanctuary)皇大神宮（伊勢神宮 内宮）and Toyouke Daijingu (Ise Jingu Geku, Outer Sanctuary) 豊受大神宮（伊勢神宮 外宮）. Both have beautiful shrine grounds with worshipping areas and lovely architecture to walk around and explore.
Meota Iwa かえる岩, also called Wedded Rocks or Married Couple Rocks, is another popular attraction to visit. Located in the ocean, you’ll see a larger and a smaller rock with a thick rope connecting them. The meaning is to celebrate the union of man and woman.
Note: The rope is not up all year round. When we visited at the beginning of September, we didn’t see the rope.
Unfortunately, you can’t get close to Meota Iwa, but you can view then from the Futami Okitama Shrine 二見興玉神社. The Futami Okitama Shrine is adorable with the frog statues and decoration. We’ve been calling it the “frog shrine.”
Final Thoughts
Toba is a quiet yet interesting place to visit in Mie Prefecture. Whether you’re seeking gorgeous ocean views, want to learn about the ama divers, or see marine animals up close, there are plenty of things to do to keep you occupied on your trip.
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