About Mikimoto
Kokichi Mikimoto - the pearl king. The skill of a scientist and the soul of an artist combined to create the genius of Kokichi Mikimoto, the inventor of cultured pearls. A visionary on a quest for beauty, it was his dream to "adorn the necks of all.
Born on January 25, 1858, in the town of Toba on Japan's Shima peninsula, Kokichi Mikimoto was the eldest son of a noodle-shop owner, a generations-old family business. As the family grew, Mikimoto's father worked hard to feed his children, selling charcoal and vegetables in addition to noodles. When Mikimoto was only 11, his father fell ill, propelling the young boy into an early adulthood and prompting him to to seek his fortune in a changing, modernizing world.
Ahead of His Time
Mikimoto was born at the end of the Edo period, a time when Japan was almost totally closed to foreign influence. With the arrival of Commodore Perry in the early 1850s, the doors of international trade began to open and an era of social change started. Highly intelligent and ahead of his time, Mikimoto was bold in his willingness to interact with other cultures and explore new opportunities beyond his family circumstances.
In 1878, Mikimoto helped to arrange and judge an exhibition of pearls in Japan. All around him, he saw misshapen or underdeveloped pearls being sold. As a perfectionist, he was disturbed by the pearl industry's greed and disregard for quality, and his reputation eventually reached as far as Japan's Imperial Court.
Overcoming Adversity
Mikimoto learned that Akoya oysters produced the best pearls. He explored methods of introducing a particle into the flesh of the oyster to stimulate secretions of "nacre" that build up in hundreds of thousands of layers, creating a lustrous pearl. He overcame many failed experiments and challenges of nature, from oyster-eating octopi to a disastrous "red tide" of bacteria that threatened the survival of his oyster beds.
Mikimoto's first pearl boutique opened in Tokyo's fashionable shopping district, Ginza, in 1899. His exceptional gems created high demand and Mikimoto stores soon followed in London, Paris and other major cities. Mikimoto's passion and ceaseless dedication to pearls led to many exciting developments, and helped his nation prosper in the global arena. As an inventor, he enthusiastically exhibited his products and created many astounding displays that spread the renown of Mikimoto cultured pearls.Introducing Pearls to the World
In 1910, a traditional Japanese fan and screen lavished with Mikimoto cultured pearls were the focal points of the Anglo-Japanese Fair in London. At the 1926 World's Fair, the Mikimoto Pagoda dazzled the public with over 12,000 pearls in a platinum setting. At the 1939 New York World's Fair, a pearl model of the Liberty Bell drew gasps from visitors.
