The Jewel of the Okis

This past weekend, Martin, my Irish friend on Dogo (the largest of the Oki Islands) came to visit me in Ama. He arrived in nearby Nishinoshima on Saturday afternoon, and I met him there, where we decided to rent a car and go check out the nearby Kuniga （literally "joyful country," if you want some foreshadow) coast line. It was a beautiful day, warm, with a slight breeze, and only a few white clouds against a Carolina blue sky. We were really fortunate in that regard, because it had been gray and rainy all week in Ama. We had a map of the island, and I had a rough idea of where we were headed, as I had been there a few weeks previously to see a small concert with the two other Douzen JETs and Paul, the high-school ALT in the Okis. The view of the ocean from the road was incredible, and it only became more so as the road winded up the red cliffs that make up the Kuniga coast. In fact, we stopped the car on several occasions to take pictures. We realized though, that we had merely wasted our time once we reached the top of the tallest cliff in Japan, Matengai, meaning "polished cliff of heaven." I honestly think that it might be the most beautiful place God ever made. To my front was the beautiful sea that surrounds the islands. I was surrounded on every other side by rolling green mountains, dotted here and there with Oki cattle and wild horses. As we neared the edge of the impressive cliff, the view only got better, and when we looked down, we realized that we could meander down the left hand side of the cliff (note, it was a hill, not the cliff face), and see the wild horses up close. With every step we took, the view got better and better, and eventually Martin chimed in that this was certainly "the crown jewel of the Oki Islands," and I must say I agree.

What's really great about it all, is that even though this is a national park, with thousands of year visitors both young and old, the scenery was not polluted by such man-made obscenities as fences, warning signs, or safety barriers. This only speaks to the awesomeness that is Japan, and the common-sense approach they take to society. Whereas American's would be concerned that children and/or the idiotic would have run off into the pasture and been trampled by a startled horse/gored by a startled bull/fallen off a cliff, the Japanese didn't really seem all that bothered by it, and if anyone were to be injured here, I doubt they'd win a lawsuit. Anyways, back to Martin and me, after walking a considerable distance, we looked back and decided it was going to take quite an effort on our part to make it back up the cliff, so we stopped walking and turned around for a very daunting trek back to the car.


Afterward, I looked at the map, and noted a shrine with the kanji for fire in its name, and decided to check it out before we had to return our rental car. We parked at the bottom of a wooded area, grabbed some bamboo walking sticks from a nearby shelter, and proceeded to hike up a wooded hill. The dark forest was a stark contrast to the rolling hills of Kuniga, and our legs already were tired from our climb there. The trip was worth it though. We first caught sight of the outskirts of the shrine after about five minutes of hiking, when we stumbled onto a large Tori in the forest. Just beyond it, there was a clearing and a stone wall, which dated back to the early 14th century. Atop the wall was a courtyard and large building. We poked our head in, but saw nobody, so we continued to walk. In the woods behind the building, we came across the shrine, which was set into a massive hole in a stone precipice. In front of the shrine, two backpackers were talking to the shrine's priest. One of them knew a little English, and tried to explain to us the history of the shrine, which had something to do with three fireballs exploding from the mountain or striking the mountain, or nearby area, or something along those lines. I had a hard time following. But according to Yagi-sensei, my Japanese professor at Furman, "at the beginning of the Meiji Era, it was a Shinto Shrine/Buddhist temple called Takuhizan Unjyûji. Legend says that the enshrined Kami, Takuhi Gongen, rescued Ex-emperor Gotoba from a ship wreck. They built a bronze statue of Takuhi Gongen in front of the Beppu Harbor Terminal Building in Nishinomachi designed by a very famous manga artist Mizuki Shigeru, who drew a number of Yôkai (goblins) including Ge Ge Ge no Kitarô."

As the three men started to head back to the entrance, they motioned for us to join them, and as we approached the wooden structure, we learned it was the abode of the Shrine's priest. The kind man invited us in and showed us around. Furthermore he made us tea, and gave us free copies of a woodblock print of the shrine. I've long wanted a woodblock print, which is a traditional Japanese method of artistry dating back to the 18th century Edo Period. This particular print was done in the Ukiyo-e style, or "pictures of the floating world." Furthermore, this print, "The Torch Shrine in Oki Province," was done by the most famous artist of the Edo period, Ando Hiroshige. I was so overwhelmed with this stranger's generosity that we were a few minutes late returning our rental car.





After we returned the car, we hopped a ferry back to Ama, and attempted to catch the sunset at the Ama Lighthouse. You may remember my failed attempt to reach the lighthouse from my 5 hour trek I took soon after my arrival in Ama. This time I actually made it, be we just missed the sunset. We still saw some great views though, and afterward, we returned to the port area to enjoy some delectable Oki beef at a local restaurant.

The next morning, we headed over to Ama's kindergarten, where I had been invited to their Sports Day, which are big events in Japanese schools. This one wasn't so centered around actual sports as it was silly games that let the kids expend a weekend's worth of energy. Martin and I got pulled in to participate in a couple of events, including a beanbag toss, and a race among adults to complete tasks written (in Japanese) on a piece of paper. It was a fun day, and I got to meet Ama's local German, Frank, who moved here with his Japanese wife only a year ago. He speaks fluent English and seemed like a cool guy, and his young daughter was adorable. Martin and I had a great time. Once the festivities were over, we returned to Nishinoshima, where we'd hoped to catch the tail end of a town festival as well as some Kagura dancing, but we arrived too late. Instead we went back to Kuniga, where we laid down in the grass for a wonderful siesta.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Be sure to check out Facebook, where I have about 80 photos up from our adventures! This weekend is an Ama-wide sports day, complete with two days of All-Oki volleyball and tennis tournaments. Next weekend though, I get to see a traditional Noh play at Oki-jinja!