Sunday, May 5, 2013

the island of wonder

Niijima is my new favorite place! It is an island located about 160 kilometers south of Tokyo in between the Philippine Sea and Pacific Ocean. To get there, you can either take a boat or the plane. I went by boat through a high speed boat (fast ship?) (高速船), which took roughly 2.5 hours. The travel there wasn't bad at all. The boat was pretty steady and time flew by. Just like a plane ride, there's not much to see in between the trip, so I just slept through it. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a land of wonder! Sitting within the boat inside bodies of water, and land within eyesight..it was an unforgettable image! As we neared our destination, you could see other islands in a short distance and the ocean water sparkling under the sunlight.
、夢、虹、友
There were four different series of boats that operated to the islands. The one we took was "Ai" (love).
We (my dorm mates at DK House and I) went to Niijima spontaneously, with no idea where exactly the island was, what was there, or what it was known for. We had neither an itinerary nor a travel guide. We just decided last minute that for golden week, which is a week of a holidays in Japan, we would go to Niijima for a two-day, one-night trip. And this was the best decision we ever made.
Right when we landed on the island and disembarked, we were surrounded by vivid greens from the mountains, blues from the ocean, and the golden sunlight.
There was a service bus that brought us to the hotel that we booked. The hotel we stayed at was call "Onoya" (大野屋), which is actually a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn). The place was very homely and welcoming. There were individual rooms (tatami mats; we slept on futons), with full bathrooms (tub, shower, sink), a TV, balcony, etc, and bicycles for customer use. The five of us shared a single room, but it was not crowded at all. There was also a spa at the ryokan (when I say spa, I mean onsen and sauna) and a dining room. Two meals were provided during our stay there.
Our fabulous dinner.
The sashimi was soooooooo delicious!
We asked the hotel manager for suggestions on what to do and where to eat on the island, and she suggested the beach, the onsen, and a restaurant nearby the ryokan. I went a little ahead of myself before (since the above pictures were dinner), but for lunch, we went to a local restaurant called "Nihombashi" (日本橋). There, we ordered two of the recommended items.
海鮮丼
seafood over rice
The fish was extreeeeemely fresh. 
赤いか焼きそば
red squid fried noodles
This was the best squid I ever had. So fresh; chewy with a crunch. 
And the soup that came with our meal had this strange thing in it. I had no idea what it was, so we asked the owner of the restaurant and learned that these were tortoise paws! My first time ever seeing this. They're not edible, but they are used for their rich flavor. And without a doubt, the soup was delishhhh.
After lunch, we headed for the beach/ocean. The beaches at Niijima are white sand beaches. The sand was nothing like I've ever seen before: it was white! Of course, not paper white, but it was a cold shade (gray/white) with hints of black sesame-like particles. It was beautiful. And the texture was so soft. It didn't have the harsh brash feeling of tan sand. I don't know how to describe it because I really have nothing to compare it to.
Honmura (Motomura) Main Entrance
I don't know the name of the beach, but I'm guessing maybe it's Honmura (or Motomura).
Beautiful wall art. And the fuzzy things on the left is actually coming from a tree. It blends in so nicely. 
The ocean!
The water was so blue and so beautiful. 
The white sand
A pier for fishing.
I'm so tiny!
There were these stone statues everywhere of all different things, from faces to animals to collages.
I don't know what they symbolize, but they were very interesting. The details of each statue was also very beautiful. The more I looked at it, the more I appreciated it.
 
We also came across a wall mural, which I don't know if mural is the right term since it's not a painting, but there were engravements carved onto a stone wall.
That same day, we met up with a friend of one of the people in my group. We met by chance; he happened to be working there, so he was familiar with the place. He brought us to the top of a mountain. The view was amazing! You could see some of the nearby islands, as well as the distant lands, such as Shizuoka Prefecture, and Fuji Mountain! As you gaze straight ahead, you see the vast, endless ocean, and it just gives you a feeling of limitlessness. I felt like I was reborn; like I had the power to do anything, to achieve my goals, and no obstacles could ever hinder me.
Niijima from above.
The beach and the harbor.
The sky was not clear enough the day we went, so you can't see, but Fuji Mountain is hidden behind the clouds somewhere here. The faint shadow you see that extends all the way through to the right end of the photo is Shizuoka Prefecture. 
At the top of the world!
After the beach, we headed to the onset (hot spring). The walk there was beautiful. It was across an area called Moyai Hill. Moyai means to work together in effort, and these statues surely makes it evident. And a little fun fact: on the western side of Shibuya Station, there is a giant Moyai statue, which was a gift from the people of Niijima.
Along the hill is also Yunohama Routen Onsen, an outdoor hot springs that is open free 24/7 to the public. There is a foot soak, as well as two full body soaks. I wondered if the spring water was actually natural, since the actual bath itself was manmade. It was later confirmed that the water, indeed, is natural, drawn up from the ocean below. Since Niijima is a volcanic island, the hot temperature is steady.
A castle! 
The Greek-ruins in the back is Yunohama Onsen.
An indoor fireplace! 
出入思い出広場
Moyai Hill 
The Hill of Hope
Gazing over the ocean. 
We passed by a mountain/rock on the shore of the ocean and were taken over by ambition. We decided to climb that rock! The climb was not very difficult, but it was scary! Not to mention, I was climbing in flip-flops! <ridiculous!> But I really wanted to see the view from the top, so nothing was stopping me. Two of the group were too scared and tired to climb up (plus it was reallllly windy), so they went ahead first to the onset. Three brave souls stayed behind and up we went!
sitting on the edge of the cliff!
lying down :)
And finally, the onsen.
Mamashita Onsen (¥300), located high up in the mountain.
It had both indoor and outdoor baths and, of course, the view is...superb!
I watched the sunset from the outdoor bath here because I didn't have enough time to relax in the bath and go out to see it. Unfortunately, though, I don't have any footage or photos of it, since I can't really bring my camera into the bath with me. But one thing is for sure: it was BEAUTIFUL.
The remainders of the sunset.
Later that night, Isomura-san drove us out to the darkest spot of the island. There, we saw so many stars it was breathtaking! There were so many of them and all so clear and brightly lit; they seemed to be within reach. We also went to Fujimitoge once again to see the night view. None of these could be captured on camera, but I assure you that it is even more amazing than any observatory that I've ever been to--and I've been to quite a few!
Milk senbei, a local delicacy. 
Inside the store.
The place where the senbei is sold is just a small counter near the entrance of the store. The rest of the place was like a factory (workplace). 
The area where it is made.
They actually get up really early in the morning (around 5) to make these senbei.
samples
"Overcome oneself."

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