Picturesque East Coast of Dogo Island

Dogo, the largest of the Oki islands in the Japan Sea off the coast of Shimane, remains one of my favourite places in Japan.

Like many places far from the Shinkansen, it has no overtourism.

On the first day of my three-day walk around the coastline of the island, I left the Sasaki Residence and started walking up the east coast.

The Oki Islands are a UNESCO Global Geopark which means there are plenty of signage in English, especially around the numerous sites of geological interest.

I have little knowledge of geology, though I do enjoy seeing land without vegetation.

In Okubo port there are examples of Green Tuff.....

Soft and makes for some nice eroded shapes.....

Then up along what is called the Kuboro Coast....

There are several observation decks with nice views, but walking, to me, makes the best way to view such coastlines....

Very little traffic, so no hazard for gently strolling....

Quite unusual to see a roadside Buddhist statue ........ every single temple on the Oki Islands were destroyed in the anti-Buddhist movement of early Meiji....

I was here in early June, 2016, so not too hot to walk, but with nice, long days....

The staggering quantity of concrete poured on Japanese coasts, building breakwaters for tiny harbours, and installing millions of tetrapods, need huge numbers of these crane-barge types of boats...

Kuroshima Island is the next major sight....

For the geologically-minded, the phrase is Mantle Xenoliths....

It's mid-afternoon as I approach Fuse, the largest of the fishing harbours of my walk today. Not big enough for a convenience store though. In fact I will pass no convenience store for three days. There is a single Yamazaki store on the island. No Lawsons, no Family Mart, no 7-11.....

The previous post was on the delightful, large Sasaki Residence, a traditional village Headmans residence.

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360 Degree Views from Mount Shirataki

 

Mount Shirataki is a 226 meter high mountain in the north of Innoshima Island in the Inland Sea between Hiroshima and Shikoku.

The Murakami, a clan of naval samurai used Innoshima as a base. A fake Murakami pirate castle lies a little further to the south. 

The Murakami erected a Kannon hall on top of the mountain to use as a watchtower overlooking the strait between Innoshima and Mukaijima.

With outcroppings of rock, the site was used by ascetics in their austerities and training and now an observation tower offers 360 degree views over the island and surrounding area

The views truly are 360 degrees and this would be a superb place to spend the night. I have done that several times before on islands in the Inland Sea and it is truly exhilarating to watch the sun set over the islands and then watch the sun rise the next morning.

But this time I was on a schedule and needed to get on to the next pilgrimage temple on the next island.

There are about 700 statues around the mountaintop, and I will cover those in the next two posts....

The previous post was on the Innoshima Sea Festival taking place in the waters below the mountain.

Views from Fukuoka Mount Atago

 

Mount Atago, in the southern part of Fukuoka City, is only 68 meters high, so it would be a hill in English.

It was named Mount Arago after an Atago Shrine was established here in the Edo Period by the local daimyo.

However it is the only high point in the area and so offers nice views over the city and surrounding area, especially at night.

The most obvious landmark is the New Fukuoka Tower just across the river.

There are also nice views to the south over the Itoshima area and to the SE down the coast towards Karatsu.

The previous post was on the Atago Shrine on top of the mountain.

Views From Mount Bishamon

 

Mount Bishamon is the 177 meter high mountain that forms a headland into Hakata Bay.

The okunoin, inner sanctuary, of Seiganji Temple down below, is at the peak and enshrines Bishamonten.

I am guessing the mountain was named Bishamon before the temple was founded in the 12th century, but maybe not.

There is a scenic viewpoint that has great views  to the north, west, and south, though views east over Fukuoka City are blocked.

There is a very narrow road up to it, or a walking trail from the temple.

There are expansive views looking over the Itoshima Plain that I had walked across earlier in the day. The photo below shows Nokonoshima, the island where the famed Gold Seal of Na was discovered.

The previous post was on Seiganji Temple below.

Best Vantage Point in Japan

 

Japan is home to a multitude of observation decks atop high-rise buildings and towers, with Tokyo Skytree being the tallest and most famous. Most of the high-rise buildings are in the biggest cities, but the many towers are often found on the coast with views along the seashore.

At 289 meters in height5, the observation deck on top of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is taller than most of the others, and the views are astounding.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge opened in 1998 and connects the main island of Honshu with Awaji Island. It has the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world at almost 2 kilometers. The total length is almost 4 kilometers.

To visit the observation deck you must book well in advance as there are a very small number of places on the tour and though relatively little-known is quickly booked up. After being kitted out in a hardhat and hi-viz vest you first have a lecture on safety protocols and how the tour will be conducted. Then you get a guided tour of the bridge museum which showcases the amazing technology that went into building it. Then you are taken out under the bridge on a walkway to the public observation deck below the bridge, 50 meters above the sea below.

Then you walk out about 1 kilometer under the bridge to the base of the tower on the Akashi, Hionshu side of the bridge where a small elevator takes you up to the top of the tower.

The observation deck is open to the elements, and there is no glass or fence obscuring your views. This makes it somehow more exciting.

The views are 360 degrees, as well as down on the bridge roadway and the ships passing underneath. Akashi is the closest view, and then west along the Okayama coast, then east to Kobe and Osaka beyond that.

I should really amend the title, as I have seen some amazing views from the tops of mountains on islands in the Inland Sea, but the views from the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge are the best I've seen from a man-made vantage point.