Kitamura pearls, created by Tsushima's nature and people's passion
Japanese cultured pearls fascinate people all over the world. Their beautiful brilliance would not have been possible without the rich oceans and a climate with varied natural seasons. Crafted using traditional natural Akoya oysters and cultivated in-house with meticulous, consistent cultivation, these high-quality pearls radiate an elegant brilliance that blends seamlessly with the wearer. Kitamura pearls, with their unique, deep luster, are born from the combination of the seas of Tsushima, which stretch far out to the continent, the passion and skill of pearl lovers, and a miraculous coincidence.
Tsushima is an island of defenders that appears in the Manyoshu, and is overflowing with nature.
Tsushima, located 132km by sea from Fukuoka, overlooks the Korean Peninsula to the west and Iki Island and the Kyushu mainland to the east. It is a border island belonging to Nagasaki Prefecture, floating in the Genkai Sea at the northernmost tip of Kyushu. Because it is located about 50km from the Korean Peninsula, closer than the Kyushu mainland, it has played an important role as the "Sakimori Island," a key defense point for Japan since ancient times.
Due to the influence of the Tsushima Current, Tsushima has long been blessed with an abundance of seafood, and Aso Bay in the center of the island, with its ria coastline featuring numerous small islands and complex inlets, has been known since ancient times as a natural harbor. The island is surrounded by a series of lush green mountains, and in 1968, its distinctive natural scenery led to it being designated as Iki-Tsushima Quasi-National Park. There are also many plants and animals that live only on Tsushima, and the Tsushima wildcat is a national natural monument.
In 1921, pearl farming began in Tsushima.
Tsushima was originally an ideal environment for pearl production, with natural Akoya oysters living there, but full-scale pearl farming began in 1921 when Kitamura Koichiro (the current president's great-grandfather) moved from Mie Prefecture and started the business.
The main reason for opening a pearl farm on Tsushima was its unique ria coastline. The calm, low waves were ideal for producing fine, high-quality pearls. Furthermore, being over 100km from the mainland means the population is low and the sea is less susceptible to pollution from domestic wastewater. In addition, the island's recent designation as a quasi-national park means its rich natural environment will be passed on to future generations, further contributing to the continued production of beautiful pearls.
Pearl farming on Tsushima began in 1921, and over the years, the island has continued to develop its own unique techniques, and has grown to become one of the largest farms in Japan. Today, it has become one of the island's main industries, and the name "Tsushima Pearls" is well known around the world.
Our commitment to using pure, natural domestic Akoya pearls.
To produce beautiful pearls, you first need a high-quality mother oyster. Although the marine environment has changed dramatically in recent years, we have always insisted on using only natural, domestically produced Akoya oysters as mother oysters, and we carefully cultivate them from young oysters over a period of two to three years.
There are two main methods for collecting young oysters, one of which is the traditional method of hanging cedar leaves from ropes stretched over the bay where the Akoya oysters live, and then collecting the young oysters that have been released onto the leaves and are carried back by ocean currents.In fact, this method is extremely inefficient, but it ensures a stable supply of young oysters, which are essential for producing high-quality pearls, so the traditional method is still stubbornly preserved to this day.
The other method is called artificial seedlings, which is essential to modern pearl farming. Eggs from purely domestic natural Akoya oysters are artificially hatched and raised, but in order to consistently produce high-quality pearls, the aim is to only breed the eggs for one generation, rather than breeding them multiple times.
Kitamura's pearls are produced through in-house integrated aquaculture and "co-cell" cultivation.
In modern pearl farming, it is common for the labor to be divided among different people, from raising the mother oysters to inserting the nucleus and bringing them ashore, but in order to produce pearls that we are satisfied with, we choose to carry out our own integrated in-house farming. By raising the oysters from young oysters, we can perform the nucleation process in the best conditions, which leads to the production of many excellent pearls.
During the actual nucleus insertion process, a nucleus made from a shell ground into a spherical shape and small pieces of cells (the mantle of the oyster) cut to form the pearl substance are inserted into the mother oyster together.The cells used include long cells, which are cut from oysters grown separately, and co-cells, which are cut from the mother oyster into which the nucleus will be inserted.
It is the "long cells" that give pearls a uniform white color and are highly efficient. So why are we so particular about "synocytes"? It is because using "synocytes" dramatically improves the nacreous layer, increasing the chances of producing the finest pearls. Pursuing beauty without regard for efficiency is an essential commitment to creating a pearl worthy of being called the jewel of the sea.
The cold sea of Tsushima brings
Miracle luster.
One of the characteristics of the waters off Tsushima is that the seawater is cold and low in nutrients. At first glance, this environment may not be ideal for pearl growth, but it is actually the key to creating the unique beauty of Tsushima pearls.
Tsushima pearls grow slowly due to the low temperature and low nutrition of the sea, and while they would normally be ready for shipping in 12 months, they are carefully cultivated over 19 months. As a result, the nacre layers pile up and become very thick. Furthermore, the seawater temperature drops sharply in winter, which causes the nacre layers to form tightly, resulting in pearls with a fine surface and a deep luster. This is truly a miracle created by the sea of Tsushima.
The pearls that are born in this way over a period of 19 months, surviving two summers, are called "koshimono" (over-year pearls) as opposed to the usual pearls of the same year, and are highly valued in the market.
With traditions and techniques cultivated over the years,
Pursuing the beauty of pearls.
It can take up to four years from raising the young oysters to bringing them ashore. Pearl farming is done entirely by hand. Even with the knowledge and techniques cultivated over more than a hundred years, not all oysters produce pearls, and the reality is that the number of pearls that can be produced is even more limited. This is because no two days are the same in the ocean, and the birth of a pearl requires a miraculous moment beyond human understanding.
That's why the joy of finding a perfect pearl among the Akoya oysters that have been brought ashore is exceptional. The mission of pearl farming is, ultimately, to produce beautiful pearls. Although the ocean environment is changing dramatically due to global warming, we will continue to strive to produce high-quality pearls together with the waters of Tsushima, while carefully preserving techniques backed by tradition and experience.
