Shodoshima Island

Late June I traveled with my dear sweet friends, Usushi and Yoshie to Shodoshima Island.  It was Yoshies’ decision as she has family there.  I simple expressed my interest in seeing more of Japan, so anything and everything would be great.  We met early one morning, as in 6am or so to board a 3 hour bus to the ferry docks.

I love how a necessity to have in Japan (just like a wallet) is a towel.  It is a multi-purposed item, and in this case a saliva-catching when/if drooling while asleep.

It is always nice to escape your day in and day out routine, but when I saw the ferry I felt that I was going on a magical adventure to Neverland as it was so colorful and playful, I loved it!

The map of the layout of the vessel.

Before we settled down to nap again, we explored the whole boat and found a cute play area at the top where I pretended to be a gymnast.

My other fancy move:

I have been on the BC Ferries in Canada, which are lovely,  so was comparing the differences and similarities in my head.  The biggest difference was that there were open floor space to sit on, or lay on, or sleep on, or stretch on…..OPEN FLOOR SPACE!!! I loved it, of course as a dancer/yogi.  That is a major cultural difference between Asia and North America.  People not being as comfortable sitting and squatting low to the floor.  After stretching I napped under an umbrella for privacy

Coming from Osaka stepping off the ferry was bliss in the change of pace with No one in a rush. We had a shuttle ride to the hotel where we dropped our bags off to start our tourist day.  On a small island you either have a driver or rent a car.  We rented a car.  Yoshie drove and liked to put “the peddle to the metal”, I never saw that side to her before.  I did not puke so it was not that extreme…..ha.  She did have some issues with parking evenly, but don’t we all time to time.

We walked around a lot on foot at our first location and highlight of Shodoshima Island, “Olive Park”.

This park is a lovely Greek-styled façade that rises out of the bay on the side of the hill when driving up towards it.

As someone that adores characters I noticed two very special ones in my journey.  One was very Zen whom witnessed the world go by with an even orange-tan.

The other was a hard-core granny pushing her bike with weight up a steep hill.  We asked if she wanted us to help her get the bike to the top, but she refused our help.  She didn’t look like she was in pain or struggling, it was just that she was going so slowly that there was some concern.  But as a slow walker myself I understand that step by step in front of the other still gets you moving towards the future

I LOVE figs, and I had the luxury of being near a fig tree.

There was a greenhouse and beautiful gardens of various plants that smelt amazing, plus of course many olive plants. So lush to be away from a cement city and to be in the greenery.

Near the top of the hill and park was a central building with lecture rooms, research areas with information, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop that sells olive chocolates, olive soap, olive cosmetics, olive bath salts, black olives in tins and green olives in jars and more gimmicks in between.

Japan is obsessed with soft serve ice cream and more specifically for unique flavors.  I tried two flavors on this particular trip that I never had before.  First was Lavender with an Easter pastel purple hue.

Shōdoshima (小豆島^?) is an island located in the Inland Sea of Japan. This island is famous for its stages of the Japanese film “Twenty-Four Eyes“. The name means literally “Island of Small Beans”. The island was the first area of Japan to successfully grow olives, and is sometimes known as “Olive Island”.

It has an area of 153.30 km² and a coastline of 126 km. It is the 19th largest island in Japan, second largest in the Inland Sea. Milos, Greece is Shōdoshima’s sister island.

After visiting the Olive Park we went to “Angel Walk”. Which was stunning in its nature beauty expression. An island walkway between two shores.  There were love shrines for prayer and wishes.  I was definitely in love with this moment in time with my dear Japanese family.

There were constellations of rock formations of varying degrees

that we explored

and played upon.  I was touched when I was called over to see what had been stated in the ground of  Mother Earth.

I had a few moments of glory surrendering to the wonder and awe of the vibrations present here in passive ways

and active ways

and energetic ways of feeling the currents rise through me.

This was not an area to swim in with all the jelly fish and seaweed and rocks.  There was also another type of creature that was not too pleasing to look at either! I can’t image stepping on one either! Eeek  

………Please continue reading in next blog posting: Shodoshima Isalnd part 2 !!!

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