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Travel Journal of Miyako Island, Okinawa #1

2016.10.09

Travel

I went to Miyako Island recently.
I have traveled the main island of Okinawa, Ishigaki Island, Taketomi Island
and Iriomote Island not once or twice.
But it was only the second time for me to go to Miyako Island,
so this time I toured mainly places where I didn’t go last time.

 

Miyako Island is located about 300 kms southwest from the main island of Okinawa
and is in the middle of the main island of Okinawa and Taiwan.
It is a flat island with no mountains unlike Ishigaki or Iriomote.
When I looked out of the plane window, it looked like a cute fairy tale island.
That said, about 51,000 people live in the island and its outer perimeter is
about the same as that of Osaka City.
And, habu(poisonous snakes) do not inhabit in Miyako Island,
which is unusual for Okinawan islands. (H.S)

 


The sea near Miyako Island Marine Park.
The blue of the sea of Miyako Island is called “Miyako Blue”.
There are many tropical fish and divers all around the world have a longing for the sea.

 


It is said that this Yonaha-Maehama is the most beautiful beach in the orient.
The beach sand is very fine and I was surprised at the smooth touch when I walked barefoot.
Miyako Island Triathlon Event held in April of each year starts this beach.

 


Higashihenna-zaki Cape is located on the edge of the southeast of the island.
East China Sea spreads out before my eyes. Looking such a superb view, I feel cleansed.

 


The lighthouse on the Higashihenna-zaki Cape. You can go up to the top of it.
If you climb the 100 steps, you can enjoy 360-degree panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea.

 


I can’t help but take photos of hibiscus.

 


At a Folk song Izakaya. Visitors can also sing there. The man in the middle is
a local customer and he is very good at singing and playing sanshin.
This is just as expected of Miyako Island where folk songs are popular.

A Winter Waterfall [Video]

2016.01.07

Travel

Kegon Waterfall which I visited during a company trip last November.

 

It was very cold and stairs were closed due to snowfall. So we took an elevator which cost 550 yen round trip and walked through the underground passage to an observation tower located in front of the basin of the waterfall that is 100 meters high.

 

Regardless of the scale of waterfalls, they have special attraction and I can’t help staring at it.
It maybe from being awed by the power of water, it seems that the solemn atmosphere rises in winter.

T.S

Cranes from 220 years ago [Video]

2016.01.04

Travel

It is the year of the monkey this year, so I think the three wise monkeys are everywhere. Besides those monkeys, to show you something seems very Japanese New Year, here are crane parent and its child from Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

 

It was taken in last November. Even though Toshogu Shrine was under major repair for Heisei era and Yomeimon Gate was fully covered, I was lucky to see this painting.

This painting was drawn with a skill called Toyu Makie which is similar to an oil painting skill. It was on the outer wall of Yomeimon Gate. The painting gets damaged from being exposed to direct rays of the sun, so it has been covered by a sculpture since 220 years ago. Because of this major repair, it is now appeared to the public.

 

Every time I see old paintings and documents I think that

we can still see works after hundreds of years later and we also can see letters and pictures inscribed on stones thousands of years later. What about the digital information from 20 years ago?

Maybe I should print out important photographs.

 

T.S

Cold Scenery （Lake Chuzenji in November ）

2015.12.27

Travel

We did not have much snow at all on the christmas day,

I am feeling that we are having a warm winter in Fukui, this year.

It was very cold at Lake Chuzenji in Nikko where I went for a company trip, last month.

So I thought that it would be cold soon in Fukui as well.

But the Japan Meteorological agency announced the tendency of unusually warm winter in January.

It looks like we will not have snow for the new year.

T.S

Three wise monkeys in Nikko and different countries

2015.12.23

Travel

At a company trip to Nikko Toshogu Shrine last month, I took a movie of famous three wise monkeys (which are “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil”).

It’s the year of the Monkey next year in Japan, so the picture of these monkeys must be used so much for New Year cards.

 

They monkeys are on the wall of Shinkyusha (Sacred Stable) which is a stable for shrine’s sacred horses.

In the movie, it is introduced as “Umaya” (a stable).

It is said that monkeys are protection for horses so monkeys are carved on this building.

 

When I saw this first time, it was during a school trip. 

I thought it was pretty small despite its popularity. 

I wondered why, out of a great many sculptures in Toshogu shrine, this became especially famous.

 

Actually there are the three wise monkeys all over the world...

It’s interesting that meanings of the monkeys become different depends on different places.

As compared with other monkey statues from other places,

these monkeys at Nikko are more charming which makes sense why they are so famous.

T.S

The photo of three monkeys clicked at Gandhi ashram
photographed by Mitva Shah

Three wise monkeys at the monastery of Gandhi in India, “speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil”.

 

A billboard encouraging secrecy amongst Oak Ridge workers

A signboard for employees at the U.S. government, “what you see here, what you do here, what you hear here, when you leave here, let it stay here”.

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