Epitome of serenity and tranquillity
Holiday
By Khushwinder Dhillon

ISHIGAK Island of Okinawa prefecture is the third largest island in the southern most part of Japan in East China Sea. This island and other neighbouring islands between Kyushu and Taiwan are collectively called Yaeyama Islands. After seven hours flight from New Delhi to Osaka, it takes another one-and-a-half hours by air to Ishigaki Island, an epitome of serenity and tranquillity. The aerial view of the island is simply breathtaking. It is like a scenery straight out of painting, the emerald sea with a dot of lush green in the middle. The climate is subtropical marine with average annual temperature of 24°C and the average winter temperature is 18° C. The Ishigaki airport is small one but nevertheless a very busy one.There is a lot of tourist traffic from the mainland Japan, with the result that plush hotels, restaurants and shopping arcades have come up near the airport. Apart from remote villages towards the north, even in the city there are places where one gets the feel of the countryside. Sugarcane is the chief cash crop and grows in abundance. Besides modern houses, typical Okinawa houses with slanting orange tile roofs and stone walls with ferns protruding from crevices can still be seen. Every house roof top is mounted with a statue of shish (lion) which personifies protection from evil spirits. This tiny island is a rich repository of flora and fauna. A casual glimpse of nature reveals glamorously blooming flowers and animals hidden in the deep dark woods. Over 3000 species of fascinating plants, mainly subtropical or tropical in nature inhabit the region. Notably among them are hibiscus, bougainvillaea, and Easter lilies, which bloom throughout the year. This island is also home to myriad rare animals, including the iriomote lynx, the crested serpent eagle and the semaruhakogame (turtle).

The Japanese build small and simple houses and crowd them with plants right till their front doors. The people are very fond of flowers and plants and create natural exquisite gardens in even small places. In the mainland, housing is a problem and people live in small (sixty square metre), cramped rabbit hutches (unsagi-goya), and young residents live in one room (ten square metre) condominium containing kitchen, toilet and bath together. The display of flowers in the stores and at other public places transport one to the land of paradise. The city has a Citizen’s Hall for holding conventions, public library and the Municipal Yaeyama Museum with its collection and display of cultural treasures. Near the Citizen’s Hall is the Shinei Park with the Bell for World Peace. The peace bell makes an fervent appeal for realisation of World peace based on UN charter.

One can find many places worth seeing over the island. The most popular tourist spot is the Kabira Bay region, which is famous for its black pearls. The chief attraction is the boats that have a magnifying glass bottom through which one can see the marine life along the coral reef. It is exciting and an experience of its own kind. The coral reefs of Ishigaki and surrounding islands foster 260 species of coral in the coastal waters, known to be the greatest diversity of species in the world displaying a rare assortment of brilliant colours and beauty. In summers, divers from various parts of the world visit the island to unfold this hidden world which stretches beyond the novice’s imagination. En route to Kabira one can take a short break and enjoy the landscape from Mt. Bana view point. The whole of Ishigaki city area, the Ishigaki mountains and two nearby islands are visible from this point. It is surrounded by a park, which is home to innumerable tropical and sub-tropical plants. There is another park nearby popularly known as the ‘Monkey House’. Here one can roam around the forest and meet a few species of monkeys. The squirrel monkeys are to be found in great number and are very friendly. The Tomatorizaki observation platform located in the middle of the island is another place to be visited. From here one can see the vast seascape and enjoy the beauty of the sea of coral abundant with gigantic dancing manta rays and whale sharks. The splendour of the sea can also be seen from the Oganzaki lighthouse which is also an important dining spot.

When one reaches Kabira, one is sure to visit Sukuji Beach, which is fully furnished with showers, rest rooms, changing rooms etc. The seamers club overlooks this beach of endless snow-white sand. Palm tree and mangrove forests take up a lot of area on the island. Palm trees grow tall and wild. Mangrove trees grow where fresh water and sea water mix together. In Ishigaki Island, the mangrove forests of Fukitoshi and Miyara rivers, consisting mainly of true mangroves and a few other species of mangroves are especially famous and are designated as natural monuments. Since mangrove forests enrich the river and function to help the growth of wild life, the protection of mangroves is recently being stressed. Bull fighting is the popular sport in the island. Farmers nurse and tender their bulls well in advance of the tournament. Winner bull is garlanded around horns and awarded with bags of cattle feed and cash prize for the owner.

Near the Ishigaki Grand Hotel are big shops selling typical Ishigaki stuff meant for the tourists. From here, one can buy glass items, decoration pieces made of shell pearls and so on. For day-to-day shopping there is the covered market replete with umpteen array of vegetables, fruits, fish and other ingredients of Yaeyama food culture. Many curious items here represent foods originating in subtropics, and a feeling of living Yaeyama culture transcends the mind. The island also houses Okinawa Subtropical Station, a research institute of Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). Here scientists from developing countries carry collaborative studies for the optimum utilisation of bioresources for the sustainable agricultural production in the tropics for global food security and conservation of our fragile environment.

Approximately 430 km from Ishigaki Island is located the Okinawa island famous for the final battleground of Pacific War towards the end of World War II in June 1945. Okinawa makes up less than 1 per cent of Japan’s total area but accounts 75 per cent of land set aside for the US military in Japan. In Okinawa, during the war, more than 200,000 people perished, including US and Japanese soldiers and Okinawan citizens. War associated historic places worth visiting include the Okinawa Peace Memorial Hall which symbolises the ardent wish of Japanese people who abhor the recurrence of such a tragedy to befall any nation, former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters where Admiral Ota with his 174 officers and men committed suicide (Hara-Kiri). Another attraction in Okinawa is Shurijo Castle, which depicts prosperity of Ryukyu Royal Court. Its harmonious blend of 161 pillars, 60,000 roof tiles, sculptures and brilliant colouring make it the masterpiece of Ryukyuan architecture.

The Japanese are fond of eating out and apart from numerous Japanese restaurants in Ishigaki, there are four fast food joints, which are popular with the younger generation. It is common for the whole Japanese family to eat out together once or twice a week. Except for very young children, the rest of family love Sashimi thin slices of raw fish dipped in soya sauce). Other important Japanese dishes are yaki-niku (grilled meat laced with soya sauce, misodean paste, garlic, red pepper), Kimuchi (salty Chinese cabbage, seafood, daikonradish, ginger, garlic, red pepper), Namuru (bean sprouts and other vegetables in a dressing of vinegar and red pepper), Bibimba (vegetables and fried egg laid on rice), Kuppa ( a soup of rice, seaweed, egg and vegetables), Yaki-Zahana (fish barbecued on a wire grill with salt), Tempura ( a wide variety of vegetables dipped in butter, then deep fried), Chawan Mushi (small pieces of mushrooms, chicken, fresh cake and ginko nuts added to a stock thickened with egg, steamed in a small earthenware covered pot) and Sukiyaki (beef cooked in an iron pan with bean curd, noodles, onions and other vegetables in a soya sauce broth). In the restaurant, your order goes via a computerised POS system straight to the kitchen.