The life story of a street peddler of noodles and seafood who became one of Japan's richest and most beloved men, Mikimoto K¿kichi.

Born in Toba on the southern coast of Japan, Mikimoto became acutely aware of the depletion of the once rich pearl fisheries off the shores of his village. After twelve years of costly and discouraging failures, he hit upon the secret of inserting a granule of mother-of-pearl into the flesh of a three-year-old oyster until it became a smooth, round pearl.

By 1913, Mikimoto had produced cultured pearls that were outwardly indistinguishable from natural ones. He created a sensation in the pearl marts of the world by offering his pearls at one-quarter of the current price. At the height of his career, Mikimoto had 12 million oysters producing 75 percent of the world's pearls.

But THE PEARL KING is not merely the story of the birth and growth of a bizarre and gigantic commercial enterprise; it is also the story of the simple, lovable man who discovered the secret and built the business. Until he was almost 90 he entertained his factory workers with his juggling feats and conjuring magic. At 94, he was still hale and hearty, still actively managing his business.

All in all, THE PEARL KING is one of the most unusual biographies of our century.