THAT IS GOOD

I have been going home extremely infrequently lately and spend most of my time traveling alone to unpopular places. Such destinations for me are the small islands. Japan is an island country surrounded by the sea. Since I was born in an island country where I can visit various islands without a passport, there is no way for me not to enjoy this opportunity. Islands have a unique atmosphere, history, and culture that are not found on the mainland.
For this reason, I am now seriously thinking about moving my base of living on board and have finally acquired a yacht. And now I am in the process of renovating it. Looking for help! So, I have been to the Oki Islands this time, and I will report in two parts.

Oki Islands

The Oki Islands of Shimane Prefecture are located approximately 60 km north of the Shimane/Tottori border and consist of approximately 180 islands and 4 inhabited islands. Of these, the three inhabited islands of Nishinoshima Town (Nishinoshima), Ama Town (Nakanoshima), and Chibu Village (Chiburi Island) are called “Douzen” (島前). The largest island, Oki Island (Oki no Shima Town), is called “Dougo”(島後).

The island’s origins, natural environment, and human activities are considered globally valuable, and in 2013 it was recognized as a “World Geopark,” an “island where the memory of the Earth lives on”.

Island hopping (Douzen part)

This time, I decided to visit Dozen first.I decided to take the Oki Kisen ferry from Nanarui Port to the smallest inhabited island, Chibu (Chiburi island).
*High-speed boats are also available from Sakaiminato in addition to ferries.

The day before, I stayed overnight in front of Sakaiminato Station and enjoyed Mizuki Shigeru Street. The next morning, you will take a connecting bus from Sakaiminato Station to the ferry terminal at Nanarui Port. The ferry takes about 2 hours to Chiburi Island.After that, I traveled between the islands from Chibu-mura to Nishinoshima Town to Ama Town using the Douzen Inland Boat, which connects the three Douzen islands and supports the daily lives of the islanders, such as commuting to work, school, and shopping.

Furthermore, buses are sparsely available to move around the islands, so renting a car is recommended.
Only larger accommodations can be found on booking sites, and only a few of them. There are actually many guest houses run by older people who are not familiar with the Internet, so it is better to find such places and make reservations by phone.

Now then, let me introduce each island.

Chiburi Island

The population is about 650. However, many people are active outside the island, and it is said that the number of people actually on the island is even smaller. Here, most of the island is grazing land, and the roads give priority to cows rather than cars. If you want to go to the “Akahageyama Observation Deck” or “Chibu Red cliff,” which can be said to be the most popular attraction on the island, you will almost always be confronted by cows. However, cows in such places where people visit are usually calm and understanding. If you approach them, they will probably give way to you. If you come across them on a road where people don’t usually come, it may not be so easy, so in that case, give up lol

●Akahage yama

From the top of the mountain, you can see the caldera terrain created by volcanic activity and the islands in front of the island that surround it.On a fine day, it is recommended to go out to watch the sunrise, sunset, and starry sky. Be warned, however, that even though the summit is at a low altitude, it is chilly at night, even in summer.

●Chibu Red Cliff

The color of iron oxide, formed when hot magma erupts and oxidizes in contact with the air, can be seen in its cross section on the shoreline, which has been chipped away by erosion. The contrast with the blue of the sea is also wonderful.

Nishinoshima

Compared to Chiburi Island, the island is about 3 to 4 times larger in area and has about 2,600 people, about 4 to 5 times the population. The larger the island, the more attractions there are. On the Kuniga coast to the northwest is a 257-meter-high cliff called “Maten Cliff,” which is the second-highest sea cliff in Japan. The island is also home to the Oki World Geopark, with its fascinating landscape of ups and downs, including the Kuniga Coast, which is lined with natural formations of mysterious shapes caused by erosion, such as the Myoan-no-Iwaya, a sea-eroded cave, and the 40-meter-high Kannon Iwa (Kannon Rock).

●Matengai (Maten Cliff)

The view from the sea by a sightseeing boat is an extraordinary wall. If you access it from land, the view is like a meadow in the sky.

●Tsutenkyo Bridge

This arch-shaped scenic spot was originally a cave that collapsed due to sea erosion, leaving only a portion of the cave. It is very picturesque.

There are many other interesting landforms, most of which can only be seen from the boat. Therefore, when you visit Nishinoshima Island, I recommend that you take a regular sightseeing boat to see these landforms.In addition, there is a walking trail that connects the two scenic spots mentioned above, and walking along it is highly recommended. It is an easy trekking course of about 2.3 km with a height difference of about 250 m. It is recommended to walk down from Maten Cliff to Kuniga Beach where Tsutenkyo Bridge is located. You can do it the other way around, but since it is uphill all the way, we recommend that you do it that way. Cows and horses are grazing here, which also adds to the peaceful and lovely atmosphere.

And one more location.

●Akao Observatory

This is a high observatory from which you can get a bird’s eye view of the spectacular scenery caused by these unique landforms.The view from here is very beautiful and highly recommended.

Nakanoshima Island (Ama Town)

The size of the island is about halfway between Chiburi and Nishinoshima. However, it has a higher density than the other two islands, with a population of about 2,300. It was the place of exile of Emperor Go-Toba, and the Oki Shrine, built to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Emperor, is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island. My impression was that most of the island is mountainous, more like a mountain island than an island of the sea.

●Oki shrine

The 56,000-square-meter grounds are lined with cherry trees, said to be the best in Oki.On April 14 and October 14, the annual festival days, Jokyugaku, a traditional music and choreography based on Emperor Go-Toba’s inscription, “Island guardian blow with all your heart the stormy winds of the Oki Sea.”

●Akiya Beach

Sea cliffs and sea caves stretch for about 1 km in this scenic spot. It is a popular spot because of a rock called Byobu-iwa, which was formed by an eruption about 2.8 million years ago.

So I’ve only introduced the three islands in a very brief introduction, but each island has much more to offer. There are many more places to visit on each of the islands, including wonderful stores, accommodations, cafes, and so on.But, well, it is fun to go there and find them by yourself, so please enjoy your own tour of the Oki Islands.

But I want to say this. Above all, the ocean is really beautiful everywhere. If you are a diver, you should definitely try diving there. I have dived many places in the South Island where the sea is said to be beautiful. There are no coral filled areas or colorful tropical fish, but there is a richness and beauty to the sea that is different from those places. The sea is like a forest filled with seaweed and the diversity of fish that play in it. It is truly a sea of fertility. You will be impressed.

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Riki Nakajima

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Born in Shiga Prefecture in 1981. While studying in Whistler, Canada, he became a certified CSIA instructor and the first Japanese freeski instructor to receive the CFSA freeski instructor certification. After returning to Japan, he expanded his activities to include backcountry skiing in addition to participating in numerous freeskiing competitions. For the past few years, he has been working at Tomamu Ski Resort in Hokkaido, giving ski lessons, guiding, managing events, and acting as an MC. He also travels abroad every spring to try his hand at high adventure mountain climbing, and expresses his experiences through videos, photos, and events. He is the representative of the guide company “RIKI JAPOW GUIDE”.

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