Tranquil treat

Walking through the towering bamboo forest of the Matsumoto-toge Pass on the mountain side of Oniga-jo, we are treading along the ancient, though well-preserved, stone road that pilgrims and later samurai once used, according to our guide, a retired local man who volunteers to take tourists to ancient sites. A 15-minute climb to the crest of the hill sees us at the guardian deity stone statue. "Is that a bullet hole?" I ask, pointing to what appears to be a hole in the statue. "A hunter mistook the statue for a goblin and shot it," says our guide. "Not the best thing to happen to the children's guardian," I say. It was more than 300 years ago and makes for interesting conversation while heading to the vista point overlooking Shichirimihama Beach.

We are in Wakayama and Mie prefectures on a three-day tour. The region is home to stunning coastlines, Matsusaka beef and Japan's oldest shrine, but I was drawn to Mie because the Mikimoto Pearl Island is on the itinerary. Familiar with these pearls since childhood, I am unable to pass up a chance to visit the island and buy a few for myself on the final day.

This is day one, which starts with a four-hour train journey from Kyoto station at precisely 8.36am. We cannot be late as trains, like everything in Japan, are punctual. Our English-speaking guide, Yuko, has arranged the tickets and bento boxes - elegantly packed lunch boxes "bought from one of the best restaurants in Kyoto", she says. It is good. The two-layer box is filled with Chirashi sushi, seafood, sea bream, trout, various vegetables and noodles - and this is only lunch.

The train snakes around the coast to the small town of Kii Katsuura in Wakayama prefecture, where we take a minivan to our first destination, the Nachi Falls and Kumano Nachi Taisha Shinto shrine. Set in the Kii Mountain range, the site is part of the Unesco-designated World Heritage Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes. The road up to the falls and shrine is narrow and steep, but the views are amazing. The falls are the second largest in Japan, dropping 133 metres down the mountainside. The shrine is built in the Gongen architectural style of Kumano. Yuko points to parts of the roof that point up, like swords. "They represent males," she says. "Where they are flat, that represents females - it's about balance." Gongen is a mix of Shinto and Buddhist beliefs, and there are several shrines dedicated to this form of Shinto such as the Seigantoji shrine, where we stop off next.

Later in the afternoon, we head to the terraced rice paddies, famed in the area, with more than 1,300 small paddies cultivated on 100-metre-high terraced hills, hence the name Thousand Paddies. Their appearance changes according to the time of day or season, our guide says, as we drive down the hillside through the uncultivated fields.

We stay the night at the remote hillside Kumona Club hot springs resort, with ryokan-style luxury villas larger than my home. The resort boasts "facilities that provide fresh encounters with people and nature through dining, accommodation and experiences" - this rings true when I realise the public bath house is sans clothes, a Japanese custom I know nothing about. "It's OK," Yuko says nonchalantly. "We all look the same under our clothes." Not quite ready for this particular "fresh encounter", I head back to the villa for a cold local sake on the patio before dinner.

The following morning, we set out for Japan's oldest shrine, the Hana-no-Iwaya Shrine, which is actually a rock face but has been a place of pilgrimage since ancient times. We then drive to the helipad for a scenic 40-minute trip to Nemuno Sato Hotel & Resort on Osaki Peninsula. Set in beautiful surroundings, this family resort offers golf, swimming and various other outdoor activities. We are here for a Champagne lunch cruise around scenic Ago Bay. The views from the deck are spectacular. Local oyster farmers are in abundance around the rugged coastline as the waters are perfect for cultured pearls - known as Akoya pearls from the Akoya oysters found here. The 11-course lunch includes the region's famed Matsusaka beef, the best beef in the world as far as I'm concerned.

We attempt some local handicrafts next. We try our hand at Japanese paper crafting - ise-katagami - which is used to make paper stencils for dyeing textiles that go into the incredible Japanese kimono designs. The local artisan demonstrates his craft. He makes it look easy, but he has been doing this for 50 years. I have a stab at making a Japanese-style flower pattern which the artisan politely says reminds him of his first attempt. "So you're saying it's not very good then?" I ask. "It's very abstract," he replies.

The Shima Kanko Hotel Bay Suites has to be one of my all-time favourite places to stay. The rooms are massive with contemporary Japanese-style décor, stone floor bathrooms with rain showers and large baths overlooking the beautiful countryside. We go to the rooftop bar for cocktails and to watch the sunset before dining at La Mer French restaurant, where I taste the best abalone ever and even more Matsusaka beef. This is heaven.

Day three and we check out of paradise, but the good news is we are heading for the Mikimoto Pearl Island. Until now, the weather has been good, but the wind is picking up and a rainstorm hits. It doesn't dampen the mood. There are pearls, and lots of them.

We arrive at Toba and cross the bridge to the island, through the store to the VIP lounge where a woman has a bowl of oysters still in their shells. "Choose an oyster," she says. I point to one, and she opens the shell, where I see a yellow-hued pearl. "This is for you," she says to my delight. "Oh wait, there's another - you are lucky, this oyster has two," she adds.

Outside is freezing. It is March, so it's not unusual. We watch as the Mikimoto Ama women divers, traditionally dressed in white, jump into the bay to retrieve the oysters below. They must dive down again to put the oyster back after it has been cultivated. This is the old way of retrieving the pearl oysters and is done more for show these days. We then go shopping, and I buy a contemporary-design pearl bracelet and necklace. We also visit the pearl museum, which exhibits works of art made from pearls.

That night, we stay at the Toba Hotel International which overlooks the island. The hotel has seen better days, but we have a memorable dinner there with the governor of Mie prefecture, Eikei Suzuki, who is the youngest governor in Japan, "and the most handsome", he reassures me. Couldn't argue with that, as everything about Mie and the surrounding areas is stunning and well worth the train trip out of Kyoto.

WHERE TO STAY

Kumano Club
Hiyacho, Kumano, Mie prefecture, Japan
Tel: (081) 597 88 2045
Fax: (081) 597 88 2046
http://kumanoclub.jp/

Nemuno Sato Hotel & Resort
2692-3 Hazako, Hamajima-cho, Shima City, Mie prefecture, Japan
Tel: (081) 599 52 1111
www.nemunosato.com

Shima Kanko Hotel Bay Suites
731 Shinmei, Ago-cho, Shima City, Mie prefecture, Japan
Tel: (081) 599 43 2111
Fax: (081) 599 43 8870

Toba International Hotel
1-23-1 Toba, Toba-shi, Mie prefecture, Japan
Tel: (081) 599 25 3121
www.tobahotel.co.jp/en/

Transport
Regular trains from Kyoto stop at stations in Mie and Wakayama, with Chubu Centrair International Airport and Akeno Airport also serving the area.