Moopon

Japan’s southern islands, Okinawa, is a favorite vacation spot for both Japanese and non-Japanese visitors.
 With its beautiful beaches, abundant natural beauty, an array of water sports and wildlife observation,
there are many things to be experienced here.
Among the Okinawa islands, Iriomote Island (西表島), Okinawa's second largest island is quite popular.
With nearly 90% of the island consisting of jungle and mangrove forest, visitors will have a chance to see natural beauty at its rawest stage.
 Visitors who are exceptionally lucky may be able to witness the Iriomote Yamaneko, an endangered species, which are only found on this island.
It is thought only about 100 of this nocturnal “wildcat” are still in existence. 

Iriomote has many beautiful beaches with the appropriate beach related water sports such as swimming,
snorkeling and diving.
Among these fabulous beaches, Hoshizuna no Hama is exceptionally special.
The name Hoshizuna consists of hoshi meaning star and zuna meaning sand.
 This beach has grains of sand shaped like tiny stars. In reality, the “star sand” grains are skeletons of small one-celled organisms that reside within the ocean’s plants.

Hoshizuna no Hama Beach is great for swimming and snorkeling.
With the water being shallow during low tide, it is easy to see the tropical fish swimming in and out of the coral.
 There are no public facilities at the beach other than a free parking lot.  Admission is also free.

Japan’s southernmost vacation paradise of Okinawa offers its visitors an array of different activities to make the most of the “Okinawa experience”.
One of the more touristy but fun experiences visitors can partake in is the Yubujima Suigyu Cart Ride.

Yubujima is a small island near Iriomote Island. A popular way to enter Yubujima is via water buffalo carts.
The cart rides are quite fun with the drivers explaining the island’s history and sharing interesting local gossip.
Some drivers will play the sanshin (Okinawa’s stringed instrument) to entertain the occupants of their carts.

Yubujima Suigyu Cart Ride 
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 
Closed: No closing days 
Fee:  adults (over 12 years old) 1400 yen includes entry to the island’s subtropical garden
     children (over 6 years old) 700 yen includes entry to the island’s subtropical garden
     children under 6 are free

Yubujima is a small subtropical garden island.  Within the garden, visitors can view many tropical flowers such as 30
varieties of the hibiscus in addition to fruit trees such as guava and papaya.
 Of course these plants and more can be viewed throughout the year!

Within Japan’s tropical paradise of Okinawa, visitors can enjoy water sports,
nature and wildlife that can only be observed here.
Within the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa is the 90% jungle/mangrove island of Iriomote.
And here, visitors may be able to see the endangered species of the Iriomote Yamaneko,
a type of “wild cat” which resides only on this island.

It is thought only 100 Yamaneko remain on the island. As such,
the Yamaneko Museum or Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center is both a wildlife/eco museum as well as a refugee center for Iriomote
Yamaneko that have been rescued after being injured in a traffic accident. 

Visitors to the museum are able to learn about the ecology of the animals found on the island,including the Iriomote Yamaneko.
Explanations are provided in English throughout the museum.
As far as the rescued Iriomote Yamaneko, they can only be viewed via a live video feed.

Shuri Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Okinawa served an important role in Okinawa’s history.
Though presently a district of Naha, Shuri was the former capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom.  
Until Okinawa became a Japanese Prefecture in 1879, Shuri Castle was both the administrative center
as well as residence for the Ryukyu kings for several centuries.

The castle was originally constructed in the late 1300s.  
Destroyed many times through war and fires, the current buildings are a result of the reconstruction efforts from 1992.
To approach the castle, located on the top of hill, visitors need to pass through many gates, including the well known Shureimon Gate.

The castle’s main hall, the Seiden was the former venue for many governmental events. A landmark of Okinawa, the Seiden’s flamboyant decoration,
architecture and vermillion color shows the difference in castle style between Okinawa and mainland Japan. 

Visitors will find the Una Plaza in front of the Seiden.
Here many ceremonies were held. The Una Plaza is enclosed by the Hokuden (North Hall), Nanden (South Hall) and the Hoshinmon (Hoshin Gate).
The Hokuden and Nanden were administrative buildings which were also used as venues to welcome visitors from China and mainland Japan.

Visitors are welcomed to view the interior of these historic halls.
 The interiors of the Hokuden and Nanden are like modern museums with informative displays about Ryukyu Kingdom as well as
the Okinawa’s history with the Japanese mainland and China. Visitors can also view local historic artifact as well as cultural replicas received during foreign trade.

The Seiden has been reconstructed in its original style.
The richness and fine furnishing the Ryukyu kings were accustomed to are displayed in the Seiden.
Visitors can even view a replica of the king's throne and crown are among the exhibits.

Facility Information:
Hours: 8:30 to 19:00 (until 18:00 from December to March, until 20:00 from July to September) 
**Last Entry is 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: First Wednesday and Thursday of July
Admission: 820 yen
Level of English: Good

Shikinaen, located in Okinawa, was the second residence of the Ryukyu kings.
It was constructed in the 18th century.
The building were relatively simple, wooden palace buildings incorporating the Chinese red tile roofs
with a spacious Japanese garden and its a central pond.
The garden is meant to be viewed as visitors stroll around.
With both the Chinese and Japanese influence, visitors can appreciate Shikinaen’s truly unique Okinawa style.

Shikinaen was completely destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa of 1945.
However, a 20 year restoration plan began in 1975.
 In 2000, it was among the sited registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the title Gusuku Sites
and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.

From the forest, visitors walk along a stone-paved road, made from Ryukyu limestones to the main entrance.
From here, visitors will stroll along a 300 meter circular path to view the garden.
There are many interesting parts of the garden, not limited to…
**Ikutokusen—the spring filled with clear water.
 It is designated as a national monument as it is the birthplace of the red alga
**Stone Bridge: There are two stone bridges which connect to the palace as well a small islet in the middle of the water.
**Udun Palace:  built in the 17th century, before the garden and pond, this spacious palace has 15 rooms
**Rokkaku-do: a Chinese-style hexagonal pavilion located on a nearby island

Facility Information:
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:30 from October to March) 
**Last Entry is 30 minutes before closing
Closed: Wednesdays (or following day if Wednesday is a national holiday or falls on June 23) 
Admission: 400 yen

Located along the Seto Inland Sea, Sunport Takamatsu is a beautiful, relaxing waterfront promenade that its visitors can enjoy while taking a seaside bicycle ride, tea, or even a business meeting.  

With the opening of the Seto Ohashi Bridge in 1988, Takamatsu Port’s role as the main port of entry into Shikoku changed. Though it still provides ferries to nearby islands such as Shodoshima, Naoshima, Megijima and Ogijima, the utilization of car ferries has drastically declined, requiring a change.  

Thus, Sunport Takamatsu was born. With ANA Hotel Clement, the Symbol Tower and even JR Takamatsu Station in its vicinity, Sunport Takamatsu is a convenient business and shopping center. Symbol Tower is the tallest building in Sunport Takamatsu.  Offices occupy the upper floors with the Maritime Plaza Shopping Center on the lower levels. Visitors can enjoy fine dining here as well.  There are three restaurants in the tower managed by the chefs from the popular television cooking show, Iron Chef.

Access Information:
Sunport Takamatsu is a short walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
It is located across the street from Takamatsu Castle.

Made from a special type of wheat traditionally grown in Kagawa Prefecture, Sanuki Udon has fans not only in its hometown of Takamatsu, but throughout Japan and possibly around the world.  Sanuki Udon was voted as one of Japan’s three most famous types of udon.  The other two type of udon are Mizusawa Udon and Inaiwa Udon. However, Sanuki Udon is better known of the three udons. 

Sanuki Udon has a firm, chewy texture.  This leads to the various ways Sanuki Udon can be served.  Hot in a broth with different topping or chilled with soy sauce it needs to dipped in before eating, Sanuki Udon has many faces. Among the most popular are:
Kake Udon:  Hot broth (soup) over the boiled udon noodles.  Scallions (green onions) is a popular topping.
Zaru Udon:  Boiled udon noodles are cooled with cold water. After water is drained from the noodles, the limp, chilled noodles are served with a small bowl of soy sauce. The noodles are to be dipped in the soy sauce before eaten.

Bukkake Udon: Boiled udon noodles are served in soy sauce (small amount, not a soy sauce soup).  Topping include fried vegetables (tempura), seafood or grated white radish.
Kamaage Udon:  Boiled udon noodles placed in a –usually—wooden bowl to maintain the noodles’ heat.  The noodles are served with a small bowl of soy sauce for the noodles to be dipped in before they are eaten.

Takamatsu City has classes where people can learn how to make Sanuki Udon themselves. The process is not difficult, but involves strength to kneed, roll, and cut.

Sanuki Udon is inexpensive but healthy.  As previously stated, though Sanuki Udon has fans across Japan, its hometown of Takamatsu is probably its biggest fan.  Visitors will find Sanuki Udon to be a common menu item in quite a number of eateries in Takamatsu.

There are so many things to do and enjoy in Shodoshima Island, located in the Seto Inland Sea of the coast of Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku.  From driving along the Shodoshima Skyline to view the gorge near the Monkey Park and Kankakei Gorge to the paying homage to the temples on the Pilgrim Road, visitors could relax, explore, and find themselves.  In addition, visitors may be interested in the Osaka Castle Stones or Angel Road.

Osaka Castle Stones/Michi No Eki
Shodoshima is well known for its quality stones. As a result, stones from the destruction of the Osaka Castle were shipped to Shodoshima to be restored and re-cut for the reconstruction of the Castle. Some of the stones still remain on the island and can be seen on the northeastern tip of the island. 

Visitors interested in stone cutting may wish to visit the former site of a stone cutting workshop.  Though closed now, there are still many unfinished stone pieces remaining for visitors to view. The Osaka Castle Stones Michi no Eki is another site for people interested in the castle stones to stop by. Michi no Eki literally means a station on the road, and this is a rest area for drivers and passengers.  At the Osaka Castle Stones Michi no Eki, visitors can visit the museum featuring tools used in the past.  Castle stones are also displayed here as well.

Osaka Castle Stones Michi no Eki
Hours: 9:00 to 16:30
Closed: December 29th to January 3rd
Admission: Free      
                       
Angel Road
This heavenly named road is truly a thing of wonder. This sandbar located near the Tonosho Port can only be crossed during low tide. Many couples come to this island, hoping to cross the Angel Road as it is said if a couple crosses the sandbar hand-in-hand, they can find true happiness together.  There are people who write their wishes for love on wooden boards (ema) to be hung on a tree here, in hopes their wish will come true.

Senmaida
Literally translated to mean one thousand rice fields, visitors will find hundreds of rice fields embedded into to the hillside on Shodoshima. These rice fields create the illusion of being steps of along a staircase of rice fields ascending to the top of the mountain.  There is an outdoors kabuki stage, as well, in a village nearby. Since the Edo Period, local kabuki plays have been performed here. 

Access Information

Osaka Castle Stone Cutting Workshop
Board the bus from Fukuda Port, Kusakabe Port or Tonosho Port. The workshop ruins are located along the Minamimawari Fukuda bus line (南廻り福田線). Disembark at Iwagatani (岩ケ谷) bus stop.
From Fukuda port, the journey will take 10 minutes with a cost of 380 yen.
From Kusakabe Port, the journey will take 20 minutes with a cost of 390 yen.
From Tonosho Port, the journey will take 50 minutes and 940 yen.
There is one bus every two hours.

Osaka Castle Stones Michi no Eki
Board the bus from Tonosho Port or Fukuda Port. The Osaka Castle Stones Michi no Eki is located along the Kitamawari Fukuda bus line (北廻り福田線) and disembark at Omi (小海) bus stop.
From Tonosho Port, the journey will take 25 minutes with a cost of 550 yen.
From Fukuda Port, the journey will take 30 minutes with a cost of 810 yen.
There is one bus every 90 minutes.

Shodoshima, located off the coast of Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku, is well known for its production of soy sauce.  With over 400 years of production history, it is no surprise there are about a dozen soy sauce factories around the town center.

One of the largest soy sauce manufacturer, Marukin, has a museum within its factory grounds that visitors are able to visit to learn more about the soy sauce manufacturing process.  With large barrels located right outside the entrance, the museum is modeled after a traditional soy sauce factory.  Visitors will find vats, barrels, shovels and other soy sauce producing items within the museum.  Pictures from the past, advertisements, containers, etc., are also displayed. There are English displays in this museum.  Also, a souvenir shop on the premises as well. Visitors will be amazed in the variety of soy sauces produced.

Marukin Soya Sauce Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 16:00 (until 16:30 during the summer holidays and the autumn color season)
Closed: October 15th and from December 28th to January 1st
Note:  In January and February, the museum is opened on weekdays only if there is an advance reservation.
Admission: 210 yen
English level: Good

Shodoshima is also famous for its tsukudani.  Tsukudani are small pieces of fish are seaweed that has been preserved by being cooked in a sweet soy sauce.  Japanese people enjoy eating tsukudani with white rice. And Shodoshima’s tsukudani is famous not only on Shikoku island, but throughout Japan.

Visitors interested in learning more about tsukudani may wish to visit either Kyohotei Tsukudani or Ittokuan Tsukudani.  Both places are located near Marukin Soya Sauce Museum.

Kyohotei Tsukudani shows visitors the tsukudani process by providing free 20 minute factory.  However, the tours are in Japanese and require an advance reservation. Ittokuan Tsukudani provides its visitors with samples of their tsukudani products. Having a large range of tsukudani, visitors can enjoy trying the different samples to find their favorite.  Visitors can also purchase moromi ice cream at the Ittokuan Tsukudani store.  Moromi Ice Cream is a type of ice cream with a soy bean during soy sauce fermentation-type flavor.

Kyohotei Tsukudani
Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 
Tours require advance reservation. Reservations can be made via phone or online
Closed: Weekends, national holidays and December 27th to 30th
Admission: Free

Ittokuan Tsukudani
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: New Year holidays
Admission: Free

Access Information
Via bus
From Tonosho Port, board the bus bound for Sakate (坂手) or Eigamura (映画村). Disembark from the bus at Marukin-mae (丸金前). The journey should take about 40 minutes and cost is 770 yen.
From Kusakabe Port, board the bus bound for Sakate (坂手) or Eigamura (映画村). Disembark from the bus at Marukin-mae (丸金前). The journey should take about 10 minutes and cost is 200 yen.
From either port, there are only 1 to 2 buses per hour.

Via car or taxi:                                            
From Tonosho Port, it would take about 40 minutes. The taxi cost would be about 6000 yen.
From Fukuda Port, it would take about 30 minutes. The taxi cost would be about 5200 yen.
From Kusakabe Port, it would take about 5 minutes. The taxi cost would be about 1000 yen.