Ago Bay in Shima, Mie Prefecture, is one of the leading places in Japan where pearls can be cultured. The number of pearl farmers has declined in recent years, however, and they are an aging workforce.
Shima has been in the spotlight recently, as it will host the Ise-Shima Group of Seven summit scheduled for May.
Tomokazu Tanabe, a 57-year-old pearl farmer from Shima, intends to use the opportunity to revitalize his industry by expanding his business overseas through the introduction of pearl farming to Vietnam.