Spiritual Trip to Miyako Island, Okinawa #2

The next day, I went to Atsumama Utaki first. It is near by the town’s main street and worshipped as a god of learning. Shinto rituals such as bumper crop festival are held there.

Next, finally I head off to a mysterious(?) spiritual spot where is not generally known. It is a stone garden of Mr. Sadakichi Shinjo. He already passed away but I’ve heard there is a person who is taking care of the garden.

I arrived, said hello at the door and a woman came out of the house and gave me a guide map of the garden. Admission is 200 yen. As I stepped inside the garden, it was like a nature trail rathan than a stone garden and had an appearance like a jungle. Also, there is a grass space called a circle. You can see huge stones which Shinjo digged up all alone more than thirty years here and there. 　

The garden is quite large and there are paths going deep into a forest, so I saw only part of it. Even so, it was a strange place as if I have wandered into another dimension. It seems some people feel powerful magnetic field energy there but I felt nothing.

I stopped by the door again when I was leaving there, and the woman I met earlier made me hold a coral fossil. And she put her hands above the fossil. After a period of time, my hands came to feel warm under the fossil. Then, she told me “The fossil energy entered your inside of the body”. I didn’t realize at that time but I didn’t feel sleepy and tired that day after all. But it wasn’t too nervous to sleep and I could have a good sleep.

After I saw the garden, I went to a museum, a tropical garden and headed off to Kurima Island in the afternoon. Kurima Island and Miyako Island are connected by Kurima Bridge.

As I crossed the bridge, the beauty of the sea leaves me speechless. In the island, there are nice cafes and variety goods shops. Of course, there are beautiful beaches. It is an attractive island. And I found out that Kurima Island was also a power spot along Ogami Island after I returned to Fukui.
I suppose Miyako Island chose power spots for my trip this time. (H.S)

Mr. Shinjo’s stone garden. There are stones more than 560. He digged up such many stones all alone. It may be that his faith gives the “power”.

In fact, bougainvaillea’s flowers are the three small white parts and the red parts like petals are flower bract.

                                  Hibiscus with such color is pretty too.

                          Dragon fruit-flavored soft-service ice cream

There was a goat in Kurima Island. It is female named “Kirari”. In Okinawa, there is a custom that they eat goats on celebratory occasions and some people raise goats for the reason. But I think Kirari will keep alive because she is kept to attract tourists.

I bought a plate of Okinawan pottery. Every time I come to Okinawa, I buy one by one. I always look forward to buying ones.

Okinawan liquor, awamori “Tuyumya” only available in Miyako Island in a Ryukyu glass.

                      Grilled Miyako beef skewers. It’s very good, of course!

A quiet beach Nagamahama in Kurima Island. (taken on Apr. 15th around 16:30 1'02") You see people who are snorkeling in the sea. The beach is known that you can snorkel and see beautiful sunsets. Few people are there and you can relax just looking into the sea.