“Churaumi”（beautiful ocean）voyage with a drone around Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa

This is a TV program that broadcasted by NHK last summer (2018). I recorded and watch it repeatedly. The program showed 10-day sea kayak voyage of 230 kilometers by Satoru Yahata, a marine adventurer, from Ishigaki Island, via Kohama Island and Iriomote Island to Yonaguni Island, with a drone. The sparkling ocean is breathtaking.

Yahata was born in Tokyo, but moved to Ishigaki Island 15 years ago. Now he lives with his family in the island. His way of talking on the TV program was gentle, which was different

from the image that crossed the sea by a kayak from Australia to Japan, and it gave a clue to his mild personality.

The ocean around the Yaeyama Islands is very clear. Yahata said that sometimes he could

see all the way to the bottom of the sea at a depth of 30-40 meters. The scene where Yahata experienced a traditional fish-catching method in Kohama Island was impressive as well. The fisherman appeared in the program had a muscular build naturally created by years of fishing. Yahata was impressed with the fisherman’s skill that stabbing only fish head with a fishing spear at once. Because fish body must not be damaged to sell them.

In Iriomote Island, Yahata climbed to Mayagusuku Fall, which he said it’s the most beautiful

fall in the Iriomote Island. Mayagusuku means wildcats’ castle in Okinawan language. He passed through a jungle for about few hours and he sometimes had to burn a leech that stuck to his leg. To get to the fall, a hidden scenic spot, you need to apply for entering the route, and it is not easily accessible without a guide. The image from above taken by drones was really amazing.

The final destination, Yonaguni Island, which was once said to be difficult to get there because the open sea is rough. Yahata left the Iriomote Island at 4:30 in the early morning and finally managed to arrive at the Yonaguni Island at 19:50 by sunset. So he kept rowing for 15 hours.  When he was hungry, he ate a rice ball. It was a hard crossing that when he was about to get heatstroke, he soaked in the seawater to cool down his body and started to row again.

The program was repeated recently. If it will be repeated again, please watch it. You will surely feel comforted with the refreshing images. (H.S)

         
                       Yahata stands on the big coral in the sea of Shiraho, Ishigaki Island.

        The coral seems to be about 300 years old. Its upper part is dry and hard, so it’s okay to stand on. (Generally, you must not step or touch corals.)

                            

                                                  

                                                  The sea of Yaeyema from a drone.

                                                        Yahata’s kayak looks small.

                                         

                                                                
                                                                  Yahata is kayaking.

[Video] Kayaking in Iriomote Island (5’50”)

In the beginning, Yahata is giving a tutorial on paddling.       

“A sloping path in Trieste” written by Atsuko Suga

Atsuko Suga (1929-1998) was an essayist and a scholar of Italian literature. When she was young, she lived in Italy for more than ten years, studied Italian language and worked on translation of Italian literature. She married to Italian Giuseppe in 1961 but Giuseppe passed away suddenly several years later and she returned to Japan. After that, she taught at universities.

Trieste, located in the northeastern area of Italy on Italy-Slovenia border, is a port town   with a population of about 200,000. The essay “A sloping path in Trieste” is written about when she visited Trieste alone to trace Italian poet Umberto Saba’s footsteps.

Following are excerpts from the essay.

“No matter how long way to go, I will walk without use of vehicles. It was one of the few self-imposed rules that day. I want to just walk as Saba always walked. “

 

“Why do I keep attaching my mind to Saba for so many years? Am I trying to overlap memories of my husband who died on a June night twenty years ago?”  

                                   The current book store that Umberto Saba ran.

                              The photo is from a blog:  https://note.com/alberocooking　

Since medieval times, Trieste had been belonged to Austria, but after the First World War, it became Italy’s territory in 1919. Trieste was a peculiar city culturally as well, they had mixed feelings of respect and hatred toward the culture and the people of Vienna. But they continued to admire Italy linguistically and racially. The double nature has made the identity of the people of Trieste complicated. Suga also wrote that the houses in the city were Austrian style rather than Italian.

In Italy, a major tourism destination, Trieste is an unknown, outlying city that affected by history. Suga wrote, “As I walked down a slope, nearby houses looked unexpectedly poor and aging.” And, I also wanted to walk the nameless slope. Suga’s writing style that is quiet, unwavering solid makes me feel nostalgic for the strange city, Trieste. (H.S)

[Video] ETV special | Atsuko Suga-Reminiscence of foggy Italy-Writer who lived in freedom and solitude- Suga’s rare natural voice is from 56’16”

   

Eye-opening experience of soldering

I have recently started soldering to remodel toy drones and to make racing drones by myself. It might be the first time that I used a soldering iron since I was in junior high school.

I've been doing it on my own way for a while, but one day I learned that there was the right soldering method from a book. And last week, I participated in a "Soldering workshop" by Masaharu Nose, the author of the book I read. The workshop  was held in Shiga Prefecture neighboring Fukui Prefecture, so I could go there easily.

Until then, I thought that soldering was melting solder with a soldering iron and bonding two terminals, or terminals and lead wires with the melted solder. However, I found it was completely different.

The correct method is to use a soldering iron to heat base materials such as terminals and lead wires, and apply solder there to instill. And the appearance of the result is quite different accordingly. It was actually an eye-opening experience for me to know the strong and beautiful soldering method.
T.S

 Ugly soldering that I did before

 

First soldering that I did in the right way

 

 By the end of the workshop, I tried delicate soldering to install these small parts.

Fallen autumn leaves at Enkouji Temple in Kyoto

When I went to Osaka the other day, I stopped at Kyoto and visited a temple to see the remains of autumn foliage. The temple that I visited is   Enkouji Temple  located in Sakyo Ward. Shisendo and Manshuin Temple are also nearby.  The foliage season has almost finished and there were not many tourists, so I could enjoy a Kyoto-like atmosphere on a fine winter's day. (H.S)

                             

                         The spacious garden was covered with fallen autumn leaves like a carpet.  

                                                 

                             The contrast between the green moss and the autumn leaves was brilliant.

  

                                  

                        Cute stone statue with a red maple leave on its head

                                                                                                 

                                      
                                       Viewing the garden through a window of the exhibit room

                                                   

                                                  Gorgeous sliding panel paintings in the main hall

The Enkouji Temple is a Zen temple, so it has a zazen room and they have zazen session every Sunday morning. They teach beginners simply. (reservation required)

                                       
                                                       I was still able to enjoy the autumn leaves.

     There was a suikinkutsu (a device that generates a sound like harp with drops of water)   and I heard the clean sound.  

Leaf patterned leaves in Fukui General Green Center

There were leaves that look as if plant illustrations were drawn. This is a foliage plant called Calathea. I was attracted to the unique pattern when I saw the plant in "Flower Display Greenhouse (commonly known as Onion House)" in the Fukui Prefectural General Green Center, yesterday.

Since it was about 4 p.m. and chilly outside but there were people who enjoying walking and exercising in the vast park. In addition to those who were walking, there were also parents and children playing with soccer balls on the lawn and people walking dogs. There were cautions saying "No dangerous pets allowed" and "No hard balls allowed", but there were no signboards saying "No dog walking" or "No ball play", which are common in parks.

I think it was good to feel the atmosphere like "Let's enjoy here each other having good manners, instead of prohibiting everything".
TS

Inside the Onion House was decorated for Christmas. There was a photo shooting spot near the entrance where you can expose your face through a heart-shaped hole. (The photo is from the official web page/only in Japanese)

The park has a vast site with a straight line distance of more than 1 km from end to end. There is an observatory in the main facility "Woodream Fukui". (The map is from the official web page/only in Japanese)

The world's only in-airport winery "Osaka Airport Winery"

This time, I departed from Itami Airport (Osaka International Airport) to Ishigaki Island via Naha. Actually, at the Itami Airport, there is the world's only winery at an airport. The winery "Osaka Airport Winery" also has a wine bar. So, I went to the airport early and stopped at the winery to have lunch.

                         The appearance of the winery and bar 

                 

                                                       Inside the bar

                         You can enjoy wine and Italian cuisine with a view of 

                         the brewing tanks.

                  

                              Red wine made on-premises (rough filtered)

       It was Concord, so I was afraid it was a bit sweet but wasn't and delicious,                       fresh and fruity. They offer white wines including Chardonnay.                                                                         

                                                   

               They serve various dishes to go with wine, which are large portions. 

                             

They sell wine as a souvenir. 

                      The bottles are accented with ITM (the three letter code for

                      the Itami Airport). They also show the wine maker's name 

                      Shigehiro Teruya. 

The central commercial area is currently going through major renovations and many new shops and restaurants will open in the summer of 2020. (H.S)

Strolling in Shiraho Village in Ishigaki Island

As I wrote in our blog last week, the Shiraho District, where the little cake shop "PAPIRU" is located, is a quiet traditional village community close to the sea. On this occasion, I took a little stroll around the village. In fact, Shiraho has a long history. In the Shiraho village, over 1,500 people were killed in the 1771 massive tsunami and only a dozen of people survived. But then, they received many immigrants from Hateruma Island and Okinawa's main island. Today, there are over 500 houses and about 1,600 people in the village. Traditional events including a festival to pray for bumper crops are popular there, a big sacred place appeared while walking.

Also, speaking of Shiraho, coral reefs are famous. There is a bountiful lagoon several hundred meter off shore, which there are the largest blue coral community in the Northern hemisphere and more than 120 kinds of coral reefs and colorful fish. (H.S)

　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　Blooming bougainvillea in the village 

　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　Shiraho beach is made of corals. 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Boatslip by placing rocks simply 

　　　　　

　　　　　　　The roads in the village is so quiet. The stone walls made of corals

　　　　　　          and the common garcinia tree are characteristic. 

                                    

Bus stop in front of Shiraho Elementary School.

There is a small and cute shiisa on the red tile. 

Had a dinner at an izakaya "Yaeyama-mura" in front of Ishigaki City Hall. 

                                

                                    Menus that the izakaya recommends

         I ate the most popular one, "Gurukun rice ball", which was really good.

         Gurukun is fish called double-lined fusilier. Whole fried gurukun is one of popular dishes in Okinawa.           

 [Video] Go out to the sea of Shiraho, Ishigaki Island, with Sakana-kun (1'49")

Unexpected superb view, Tedori Gorge

I was surprised that such a scenery was hidden.

Saying that it was unexpected is kind of disrespectful, but there was a huge gap between the scenery I saw while driving and one when I parked and looked down from the bridge.

It was when I went to Tedori Gorge in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture on a sunny day about 10 days ago.

Recommended spots are dotted along the Tedori River that flows from Mt. Hakusan, so I went around some of them. Unlike ordinary tourist spots, there were no souvenir shops etc.. It was good that I could quietly enjoy the scenery.

I liked such an atmosphere and I want to visit more of these kinds of "tourist spots".
T.S

Small parking lot next to "Komon Bridge", and the trees along the river are on the right. It can only be seen as an all-too-common river from here. Mt.Hakusan can be seen in the background.

From the bridge, I saw this scenery below. I felt a bit tense because of the unexpected height.

View from "Furo Bridge" slightly upstream. The parking lot here is large.

Information board near the "Furo Bridge"

A bit thrilling stone steps going down to the bottom of "Watagataki Falls", a little further upstream from the "Furo Bridge"

The "Watagataki Falls" with a drop of 32 meters from the bottom of the steps

View of the downstream side from the "Watagataki Falls". You can see an observatory in the upper left. This area seems to be a rafting course.


At the top of the steps, there was an outdoor facility called "Watagataki Ikoi no Mori"  with a campsite sign and a house that looked like an administration building, but it seems to be not used any more. Or, it may be simply because of off season. A few minutes walk to the observatory that I mentioned before.

A little cake shop in Ishigaki Island "PAPIRU"

Last weekend, I visited Ishigaki Island. It was a short stay for attending an open-air concert and I hardly did sightseeing. But I absolutely wanted to go to a cake shop called "PAPIRU" in Shiraho District, so I went there. Although I arrived before the shop opened, the owner's wife welcomed me with a smile. I could enjoy a delicious cake and herb tea. When going to Ishigaki Island, I would love to visit the shop again. (H.S)                 

                                               

                                     The appearance of the shop

                                       

                                             I had a Mont Blanc.  

                                 

                    There is an eat-in Japanese room with a surfboard on the ceiling. 

                             

         

                                       Their recent various cakes 

                         (Photo is from their Facebook page @okasinoie.papiru)

                    

The owner couple moved to Ishigaki Island from Osaka.

(Photo is from PAPIRU's website)