Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suites – A View Over Ago Bay

On the beautiful island of Kashikojima in Mie Prefecture stands Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suites, an elegant resort overlooking the peaceful waters of Ago Bay. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Ise-Shima National Park, the hotel offers something increasingly rare in modern life: the luxury of simply enjoying a beautiful landscape without being in a hurry.

Opened in 2008, The Bay Suites is part of the historic Shima Kanko Hotel complex, which has welcomed distinguished guests since 1951. While the neighboring hotel, The Classic, is celebrated for its architectural heritage and long history, The Bay Suites offers a more contemporary interpretation of Japanese hospitality. Every guest room is a spacious suite, designed to provide a quiet and comfortable retreat surrounded by the sea and forest.

Yet the hotel's greatest attraction may be found beyond its windows. Ago Bay is one of Japan's most distinctive coastal landscapes, characterized by a deeply indented shoreline, wooded islands, and narrow inlets. This type of coastline, known as a ria coast, was formed when rising sea levels flooded ancient river valleys, creating the intricate geography visible today.

Scattered across the calm water are the rafts used for pearl cultivation, an industry that has become closely associated with the Ise-Shima region. Seen from above, the rafts form delicate patterns between the islands, adding another dimension to the scenery. They are a reminder that this beautiful bay is not simply a natural landscape, but also a place where generations of people have lived and worked in harmony with the sea.

One of the most memorable places in the hotel is its rooftop garden. From here, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Ago Bay, with its countless shades of blue and green. The scenery changes throughout the day as sunlight moves across the water and shadows gradually settle over the islands. Particularly beautiful is the evening light, when the bay takes on a softer appearance and the entire landscape seems to grow quieter.

The rooftop garden also has a connection to a moment in recent Japanese history. During the 2016 G7 Ise-Shima Summit, world leaders gathered at the hotel and were photographed against the magnificent backdrop of Ago Bay. Today, visitors can see the same landscape from the hotel's summit photo point. Regardless of the international attention the event attracted, the enduring attraction of this place remains the natural beauty surrounding it.

The Bay Suites is also known for its refined dining, which makes use of the rich seafood traditions of Ise-Shima. Local ingredients such as abalone and Ise lobster are particularly celebrated, reflecting the region's long relationship with the ocean. Here, the food, architecture, and landscape seem to belong naturally together.

There is a special quality to the view from this hotel. It is not a dramatic landscape of towering cliffs or enormous waves. Instead, its beauty comes from the quiet arrangement of islands, water, forests, and distant horizons. It is a scenery that rewards patience, revealing subtle changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.

For BRONZE MUSEUM JAPAN, the Ise-Shima region holds another important meaning. Every three to four years, we make a pilgrimage to Ise Jingu, one of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrine complexes. This continuing tradition gives us an opportunity to return to the region and appreciate its history, spirituality, and natural surroundings.

In our next blog, we plan to introduce Ise Jingu and share the cultural significance of this special place, which has been central to Japanese spiritual life for centuries.

Until then, we leave you with the peaceful scenery of Ago Bay, as seen from Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suites.

Some places are remembered for what happens there. Others remain in our memories simply because of what we saw.

Ago Bay belongs to the latter.

BRONZE MUSEUM JAPAN

photo : Supervisor K