Japan Again 5

TOKUYAMA

Here is where the Human Suicide Torpedo was built during the war and there is one on display just near where we are tied up.
Our first stop here was the Transport Bureau and once again we found people eager to help. Leaving everything in there hands we explored Tokuyama and found, to our delight, all the shops located by the railway station and a supermarket close to the rail line. The streets were lined with trees wearing autumn foliage giving us technicolour pleasure. Charioteer was side tied to awharf and for company we had two big tugs and ten coastal freighters that were all tied stern to. We felt rather insignificant amongst them all. Our permit arrive, and were finally free to start cruising.

HIKARI

A huge sports complex with a pontoon was our destination. Upon arrival we were inundated with visitors, mainly sailing school students. Once things had quietened down we went for a walk and discovered a huge hardware/homeware store. We spent an hour in their drooling and decided to return to Charioteer, make a list, and return the next morning with our wallet.
But oh no horror..the Sports Complex had a rule...No over night stays......by now it was too late in the day so we were given permission to stay for two nights. Next day we spent time in hardware heaven.

AIKA SAKI

At anchor in the beautiful bay, sun sparkling in the calm water, fishing boats dotted around, peace, birds song and ....oh no here come Customs. They had no paper work at all with them and after 'discussions' they drove us back to Hikari to the sub office and once again we put the same info down on the same form. They then drove us back to Charioteer. It gave them something to do and wasted several hours for us.
This place has many shrines and temples and we would of loved to be able to have found someone who could of explained the history of the place. But other than people praying and giving money there were no monks around. The peace and serenity of this bay is wonderful...a little bit of heaven.

YA SHIMA

Wind speed for 12 hours average of 20 knots, high of 39......the barometer plummeted and this was the weather we got. We were tied to a small wharf and every now and then the waves threw saltwater over the seawall and onto us. Weather aside we have had a lovely time here. Dark at night, torches flashing we found ourselves invited to a local house for drinks and karaoke. The owner lives in Hiroshima and had come over to the island with some friends on a fishing trip. The next day wev were fed a Japanese breakfast and then driven over to the other side of the island to view a 150 year old shrine. Upon the return of the fisherman we were given two fish for our evening meal, but taken to the house for lunch. The 120 year old house has been modernised inside with the upstairs being a private art gallery. This island was once home to 3000 people, but now there are only 30 locals. The empty houses are derilict, but this island is not dying without a fight. There are flowers growing everywhere, even old boat hulls have flowers planted in them. There is an incinerator for rubbish and vegetable gardens are well tended. Every house has a wheelbarrow, cars are almost non existent. Our kindly host has invited us to a Christmas party on December 23rd in Hiroshima.


HEIGIN TO

Japanese oranges everywhere, there are just like mandarins. While we were out walking we met the local post woman who took us to a house where we were give a box of oranges. Then later she delivered another box to us. Everywhere we went we were given oranges. We met several older people who had visited New Zealand and it was a pity that we did not have enough of a common language in which to share experiences.

Japan Again 4

Finally we approached the huge bridge on the Kanmon, a passage between Kyushu and Honshu. We had been told and read about the ferious tidal currents (7 to 8 knots)., the huge ships and and we were both rather nervous. But we were able to wait until the current was slack and beginning to turn in our direction and we motored through in the company of many ships, which was not a problem and we reached the wide open spaces of the Seto Nakai unscathed and relaxed.

UBE.

We knew nothing about this city other than it was here that we would apply for our cruising permit. Coastguard were extremely helpful, translating into Japanese all our proposed anchorages and we left them with their assurances that they would be able to organise our permit. Next stop was Customs and the many forms to be filled in, then we were free to explore.
The City hall was our first stop and here we found the very helpful International Section, staffed by friendly English speaking Japanese and lots of information in English.
Ube is a city of Sculptures, they are to be found everywhere. Tokiwas Park has a vast area dedicated to works by International artists and was worth the effort to cycle there. There is also a beautiful lake complete with ducks, swans and pelicans.

The next day we decide to devote to retail therapy or in our case window shopping.
We were meandering along when we were accosted by a voluble women who insisted we join her for coffee. This led to us having eight people on board for a look see and coffee. They reciprocated by collecting us in the afternoon and taking us to view a private European style garden and then to a feast....marinated beef, homegrown salad, rice, shrimp rolls (Vietnamese style, chicken on dumpling wrapper, fruit cake, fruit salad, lemon tea made with freshly picked herbs from the garden followed by coffee. Our hosts inundated us with grapefruit, huge huge radish, mandarins, exotic jelly type of sweet and two amazing pot plants.
By now Coast guard had let us know that we had to proceed to Tokuyama to finalise our permit. So once again we waved farewell to friendly people, untied from the pontoon and set off towards an area that had not been on our schedule and so was going to be an unexpected treat.

TOKUYAMA

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ENJOY THE PHOTOS

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O Shima.
We motor sailed to O Shima...another island with an aging population. The weather was beginning to deteriorate..our baromater over three days went up and down like a yoyo..from 1032 to 1020 to 1018, We had 48 hours of continual winds inthe high 20's with our maximum gust being 48knots. We were only going to spend a night here but it was six days before the weather was settled enough for us to move on and even then we should of stayed another day.
On our walks around O Shima we came upon a temple with a resident monk and we spent an enjoyable hour with him, drinking tea and learning the history of the temple.

Next stop was Aino Shima. an island with two small harbours, a clean well stocked supermarket, WIFI accessable from onboard, friendly people, cats everywhere, abandoned fishing nets, polystyrene buoys, old abandoned vehicles filled with old tvs,heaters,radios,bycycles,old fans and rubbish. In one harbour rubbish was burnt on the seawall, leaving tins and plastic floating at the waters edge. In the other harbour the rubbish was thrown into the sea or into the jungle/bush/scrub growing beside the breakwater. There were many fishing boats tied to the wharf but no signs of the fishermen, many houses appeared to be closed and empty. This island felt to us, desolate and unloved.

Japan Again

We arrived back in Japan on October 27th and it has taken us until then (Nov 30) until we reached the Seteo Nakai with our Cruising Permit.
We knew that winter was coming but we never expected the type of weather we have been having. The locals are also surprised.
Our first stop after our entrance port was Iki Shima and the port of Ashibe. This place has one of the biggest supermarket department stores we have seen in a long time. Once our bycycles were unpacked we set of towards the ferry terminal which we have usually found to be a good source of information. Even if it is in Japanese there will usually be a map with numbered pictures and we have found many interesting sites this way. Iki did not lets us down and we found the brochures and then we met the delightful ladies who ran the ferry terminal concession stalls. Amid lots of laughter we finally managed to get away, knowing the ladies were going to join us for coffee in the afternoon. A very enjoyable time we had with them...lots of laughter and lots of miming.
The next day we cycled for miles...up and down hills until finally we reached a shrine/temple that had stone monkeys as guardians.
On the way we had stopped for a breather and were invited in to the house of a Kite Maker......the room was filled with tiny wee kites to gigantic ones. We left carrying two medium sized kites as gifts.
That evening as we were relaxing onboard we had another visit from one of the ferry ladies who had her family with her.
The following morning as we were getting ready to leave they arrived bearing copies of the photos they had taken. So from arriving unhearaled we departed Iki with new friends waving goodbye.