Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.
We set off for Okinoshima Town, a remote island in the Sea of Japan.
We depart from Haneda in the morning, heading for an island in the Sea of Japan during the rainy season. This time, we will be heading to Oki World Geopark Airport in Okinoshima town via Izumo Airport.
At Izumo Airport, I took advantage of the short transfer time to say hello to the mascot Shimanekko. I bought some barapan, a local bread, as a snack and waited at the boarding gate.
Then comes the exciting part of the trip: boarding the propeller plane bound for Oki. In just 30 minutes, we arrive at Okinoshima town!
We head to Oki World Geopark Airport in Okinoshima Town, Shimane Prefecture, which is located in the Sea of Japan. Since we have a connecting flight this time, we're going backpacker style!
Taking off from Tokyo (Haneda). The sky is blue above the clouds of the rainy season.
First, we arrived at Izumo Enmusubi Airport. It was a familiar sight in my hometown!
During the short layover, I first greeted this person. It was Shimane Prefecture's tourism mascot, "Shimanekko." At Izumo Airport, you can hang your prayers for finding love on the ema hanging next to it. After hanging it for a certain period of time, it will be dedicated to Yaegaki Shrine in Matsue City, which is famous for marriage and matchmaking.
You can also buy the local bread brand "Nanpo Pan" which has been a hot topic recently. It may be a small airport, but it has everything you need.
From here it's about a 30 minute flight.
We head towards the island with its mysterious natural beauty, taking in the views of the rice fields of the Izumo Plain.
After arriving from the airport, I took a stroll around Ai no Hashi Shopping Street before lunch.
We took the airport shuttle bus and arrived at the area around the Saigo Port Ferry Terminal, which is the city center.
Of course, this time too, there is a "no rental car" rule (laughs). Oki Island has a circumference of about 151 kilometers, so it's not possible to go around the island in a flash. However, this time too, I will try my best to go as far as I can by bicycle and bus.
First, we enjoyed sweet treats at the "Ainobashi Shopping Street" near the ferry terminal. We strolled around the town, stopping off at a retro coffee shop selling cream puffs and a cute bakery. A wharf was built on the Yao River so that we could board the ferry directly from our house.
At Kyomiya Branch, you can purchase Shimane Prefecture crafts and souvenirs in easy-to-buy sizes.
It's easy to walk from the port area, which is the starting point of the trip, to this area. I also enjoyed chatting with the locals in the shops.
In Oki, the weather changed from sunny to rainy. The first move was to take the airport shuttle bus to "Oki Port Plaza". Bicycles can be rented here.
The Okinoshima Tourist Association recommends the "Chari de GO!" bicycle rental service. The island is over 100km long if you go around it by road. There are ups and downs too.
On the way, it started raining heavily. I decided to go as far as I could! First, I started walking around the Ai no Hashi Shopping Street. You can see the Ai no Hashi in the background of the photo.
First, we went to the bakery! We bought some fluffy cream buns at "Mum's Bakery."
The sausage bread looked delicious too. There was a bread oven in the back where they made everything by hand.
It stayed fluffy until the next day and the homemade cream was delicious.
A shop filled with childhood memories. Hachibankan is popular for its cream puffs, which are baked in-house every day.
The bread and cakes were one after another, making me feel like Marie Antoinette. The cream puffs were made with puff pastry and were so thick with cream that they were heavy.
From Izumo Airport, we went to bread, bread, cream puffs, and then we came to another bakery. But we couldn't resist going in because of this exterior. Kimuraya Bakery.
Wow, so local and retro. They sell their bread wholesale to shops on the island, so lots of bread is waiting to be delivered.
The cake features the calligraphy font "Kasutera" and a sailing ship that represents the epic historical story of how Kasutera was introduced to Japan. Cream is sandwiched between sponge cake. It was a great snack to have on the road.
The Yao River flows through Ai no Hashi Shopping Street, which also serves as a dock for each house. You can see the typical scenery of a port town.
At Shugetsudo, a Japanese confectionery shop, we have something we'd love for everyone to try.
That is... Turban shell monaka. Turban shells are harvested in abundance on the Oki Islands, so this unique turban-shaped snack was created. Of course, it doesn't contain real turban shells (lol).
The Shima de Leines were so cute. There were 6 of them.
Hydrangeas are planted all over the island. They seem to bloom for a long time in Oki, which has a cool climate. In Tokyo, they are in full bloom, but in Oki, some places have not yet bloomed, so the season was a little late.
The last place we visited on the Ai no Hashi Shopping Street was Kyomiya Branch.
Everyday household goods and a selection of Shimane Prefecture folk arts and crafts are tastefully displayed here. There is also a selection of light outdoor wear, so you can buy any equipment you may need while visiting the island.
Fabric accessories are easy to purchase as souvenirs! "Amano Konya's purse pouch in Yasugi City."
"Umai Tomo Wakame Chazuke" is a dish that is said to be found in every household in Oki. It comes in a mini size that is easy to take home.
Combine it with a bicycle rental! Freshly cooked turban rice lunch at "Shima Cuisine San Nana"
The "Oki Deai Trip" plan combines a bicycle trip with a delicious lunch set (reservations required).
"Shima Cuisine San-nana" is a restaurant with counter and tatami seating. It has many female customers and is often full during lunchtime.
The "Island-picked Turban Shell Rice Pot Lunch" is a rice dish made with island-picked turban shells, cooked in a pot right in front of you. Turban shell rice contains two turban shells. It comes with rock seaweed, but how do you eat this...? Please take a look at the photos in the slideshow. The soup was Kamenote. It had a great broth!
It was a lunch packed with the bounty of the Oki Sea.
We will be having "Island-picked Turban Shell Rice Cooker" at "Island Cuisine San Nana". This is a special menu and must be reserved at Oki Tabikosha by the day before.
Reservations are required, so the rice cooker was already set up and rice was already boiling on the table.
Next to where the rice is set out...
Rock seaweed and a mat for rolling. With these, we make seaweed rolls for the turban rice.
Apparently on the island, it is common to wrap it in seaweed or sprinkle it on top before eating.
We had tempura for a luxurious lunch.
Kamenote soup. Kamenote is a type of shellfish. It produces a good soup full of minerals.
Drinks and dessert were also included: wild strawberry chiffon cake.
The store was full of customers so I couldn't take any photos inside, but there were many groups of women there.
Read the second part here
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
