Ishigaki, Japan ... One of 6,852 Islands … (give or take about 7,000)

 

February 23, 2024

 

Konnichiwa from Ishigaki!

Depending on who you talk to, the Japan archipelago is made up of either 14,125 or 6,852 islands.   5 of these are the “main” islands.   They are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa.  Feels like I just sneezed 5 times.   Sounds the same too!

How do you pick up over 7,000 islands you didn’t have before?   The 6,852 number has been in place since a 1987 report by the Japanese Coast Guard.    I think you find them when it is convenient to do so.  Doesn’t matter really.  The vast majority of the islands are not inhabited.  

Ishigaki is actually part of the Okinawa Prefecture which is made up of 160 mostly uninhabited islands.  A prefecture basically means an area or areas falling under the authority of a prefect or a governor.  Somewhat like a state in the US or a province in Canada, etc.  Ishigaki is the southern most part of the Okinawa Prefecture.   We have been making our way north from Saipan to get there.

It will go without saying that the area is rich in WWII history but I will leave most of that to the stop in Okinawa which will be our next stop. 

Ishigaki has beautiful beaches, scuba and snorkeling areas. Today, we were welcomed by lots of Shisa statues.  The Shisa is a creature from Okinawan folklore and looks like a cross between a dog and a lion. They are believed to protect against evil. You will find these in pairs, a male and female, in front of most homes and businesses.  One has its mouth open and one has its mouth closed.  Can you guess which one is which?  Answer below. ** Vi now has a pair to take home to protect our house as well!

Of course, Japan is known for fabulous gardens!  Most folks know about the cherry trees and the blossoms that burst out in spring.  We arrived a little on the late side for a lot of the cherry trees here in Ishigaki which is in the south, but they say that we might see some in Tokyo when we get there.  Ishigaki cherry trees are a hot pink, and the mainland Japan blossoms are pale pink and white.

Our tour guide, Yoshi, first took us to the Ishigaki Limestone Cave.  This 200,000 year old cave goes for 10,500 feet of which 2,100 feet is open to the public.  The stalagmites and stalactites grow at a whopping pace of one millimeter every 3 years.  It is well lit and pathways are easy so it’s not like we were spelunking much.

Next we went to Ishigaki Yaima Village, a park composed of traditional houses which have been moved here to show the different styles and ages through the years.  Some of the houses are over a hundred years old, and they are original houses, not replicas.  

At the farmer’s house, a large enclosure was home to at least 40 to 50 Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys.  They were all over the place and they are used to people.  You had to be careful because they can get too friendly and they will come up to you and snatch any loose items they see.   Guard your glasses, hats, phones or they will be gone.   And I am not climbing the tree to try and get it back! 

A large water buffalo was standing in a small pond with only his head out of the water.  He was used to crush the sugar cane stalks in the mill as he trudged endlessly around the grinding stone, round and round and round.   Never got lost though.  

We finished up at Kabira Bay with its 8 shades of blue waters and sandy beach.   It was overcast when we got there so we didn't see the bright blue we had hoped for.  We went on a glass bottom boat over the reefs and rocks where we saw the local fish, some purple sponges and giant clams as we passed over the surface.   You can beach at the bay, but you are not allowed to swim there as this is one of the places they farm oysters to cultivate black pearls.   You could see the markings out in the water and they looked a little like rows of corn marking locations for the oysters.

Before we left, we saw a traditional Japanese wishing tree.  Prayers, wishes, and blessings are left on these beautiful trees.  Our wish will be to come back one day.

Overall, it was a good first day in Japan for us.  We have about 9 days in Japan at different places and we will see quite a lot.   The posting of the blog may suffer some in timeliness but we will do our best to to keep up with things.  See you next in Naha, Okinawa!!  Sayonara!

Oh, almost forgot ... happy 64th birthday to Emperor Naruhito!

 

 

LeRoy and Vi

** Answer:  the left shisa traditionally has a closed mouth (female), the right one an open mouth (male). The open mouth shisa traditionally wards off evil spirits (as if it is growling to warn them away), and the closed mouth shisa keeps good spirits in. Now you know the rest of the story.