Cleanse and energize yourself with the power of mother nature

Nanjo City, located in southern Okinawa, is a treasure trove of magnificent scenery and power spots. I heard that the city is well known for beautiful morning sunrises along the eastern coastline and daybreak viewed from Cape Chinen Park is definitely worth seeing, so I set my heart on going there.

At Cape Chinen Park, I was waiting even before the sun came up. The horizon gradually took on a pinkish color, gradually displaying the silhouette of Kudaka Island, known as the Island of the Gods. Eventually, the sun showed itself, transforming the surrounding scenery. The sea and trees, which had been submerged in the dark, were hit by sunlight and began to sparkle colorfully, brimming with life. I also felt as if my whole body was energized by the rays of sunlight coming down first thing in the morning.

Kakinohana Spring , my next destination, is one of Japan’s “100 Exquisite and Well-Conserved Waters.” I descended a steep stone-paved path about 100 m long, which was lined on both sides with a thick vegetation, to arrive at a small open area where the spring water was gushing up. Since long, long ago, the waters of Kakinohana Spring have been used for both living and agriculture, enriching the lives of the people of this area. Gazing at the continuous flow of this crystalline water gave me the feeling that everything extrinsic within me was being released.

Site where you are enveloped by the gods and offer thanks

After purifying both my mind and body at Kakinohana Spring, I headed to Sefa-utaki, a place of worship that was selected to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site. This place is one of the seven utaki, or sacred sites, formed by Amamikiyo, the creation goddess of the Ryukyus. During the days of the Kingdom of the Ryukyus, Sefa-utaki was regarded as the most sacred place in Okinawa where state rituals and sacred rites were held. Today also, great care is taken to preserve Sefa-utaki as a sacred place, and is worshiped by people even today.

Proceeding further into the forest while being overwhelmed by the life force of the trees around me, I visit worship sites called Ufuguui and Yuinchi. In front of these, I put my hands together and give thanks, experiencing a feeling of serenity as if I were being sheltered by the gods.

A symbol of Sefa-utaki is an inner sanctum known as Sanguui. When I actually saw this site, I was amazed by the scene of two enormous stalactites holding each other up to form an imposing triangle. I was even more surprised when the guide told us, “This was not made by human hands but formed naturally.” In the heart of these triangular stones is a point overlooking Kudaka island, the Island of the Gods. The positional relationship of the islands and this triangle is mystical. Sefa-utaki was an awe-inspiring place where you can touch the hearts of people living at one with the grander of nature, history of Okinawa and the gods.

In search of local specialties, we head to a small island connected to the main island of Okinawa

Getting a little hungry, we headed to Oujima Island , with its flourishing fishing industry, in search of something delicious to eat. Even though Oujima is a separate island, a bridge connects the island with the mainland, so access is easy. First, we decided to have some tempura, a local specialty of this island.

Oujima Island’s tempura got its start when fishmongers first deep-fried pieces of fish and sold them. Although there are several tempura shops on the island, we selected Oshiro Tempura Shop, a popular place with an endless line of customers outside. You may select from their menu and order mozuku seaweed, sea lettuce (aasa), umunii (crushed yam and other potato varieties), sakana (tuna) or other kinds of tempura. It is served up fresh and piping hot. We also loved that it was only \60 a piece.

The shop owner Oshiro-san told us, “The secret to the delicious taste is to quickly deep fry it in oil at 170°C for 3 to 4 minutes so the taste of the ingredients is not lost.” Just like she said, we could really savor the taste of the ingredients in their crispness.

After enjoying the tempura, we strolled through the Oujima Island Fresh Fish Market. Taira Fresh Fish Shop and other fishmongers line the market. We even enjoyed just walking around looking at the assortments of unique fish that can only be found in the tropics. There are many shops also selling items to enjoy on the spot such as sashimi, sushi and bowls of rice topped with fresh seafood. It’s the perfect place for lunch as well.

Our breathtaking SUP experience on the sea as the sun was setting

Leaving Oujima Island behind, we headed out to try SUP (standup paddleboard), the main event of the day. We changed into our gear at Nachura, a shop close to Cape Chinen, and headed out to sea with our instructor Tanaka-san.

I was nervous for a moment about standing up on a board that might pitch and roll on the waves. But, thanks to Tanaka-san’s thoughtful coaching, I was able to soon stand up and paddle even though I had almost no experience. Feeling the undulation of the waves gave me the incredible feeling that I was part of the sea. All of my fatigue and stress from everyday life seemed to dissolve into the water and flow away.

The reason why we chose a late start of 15:00 was that we wanted to experience SUP on the breathtaking sea as the sun went down. Tanaka-san, who sees the sky and the sea of this area every day, told us, “Around 3 o’clock, the color of the sea is really beautiful and the sun’s rays as it goes down at the end of the day turn a soft beautiful orange.” Although there were a few clouds in the sky on this day, the rays pouring down like a shower in between the clouds were divine and felt as if it cleansed our spirits.