[Part 1] A story about taking connecting flights to the Goto Islands in search of spectacular remote island scenery

Remote islands. Since traveling there requires a boat or plane, they are difficult to reach. That is precisely why unique cultures and histories, as well as untouched nature, remain in abundance, making them highly attractive travel destinations. This is a story about my trip to Fukue Island in the Goto Islands, which are relatively accessible among such remote islands.

First, to Fukuoka Airport

Even though they are said to be accessible, the Goto Islands are located in Nagasaki Prefecture. If you are heading there from Tokyo, it is common to transfer at Fukuoka Airport. So, let's start from Haneda Airport right away.

A loooong security inspection pass comes out, longer than usual. This is my first time transiting on a domestic flight, so I'm excited.

By the way, this time I used a UA mileage award ticket, and despite having a transit, the cost was 5,000 miles, the same as usual. In the case of ANA miles, even a single leg from Haneda to Fukuoka is 7,000 miles during the low season (it recently went up in price), so UA miles are truly a godsend. I never want to deal with UA again because I was once sentenced to 24 hours of being stranded at an airport, but the apology miles from that time finally came in very handy.

Since the Haneda-Fukuoka route is a major trunk line, it uses a large B787 international configuration.

Runway D while taxiing leisurely...

We took off while admiring the morning sun peeking out from the cloudy sky covering Tokyo Bay.

By the way, the season is the dead of winter in late January, and looking out the window, snow-capped mountains were peeking through.

Trouble right away

So, I thought we would arrive in Fukuoka in no time... but I was told we couldn't land due to bad weather around the airport. So, we had to wait while circling the airport for a while. Hmm, this is a bad start... When I first landed in Kyushu, it was a trip full of trouble from start to finish, so I have a feeling I might be following the same route this time.

...While harboring a hundred anxieties, the weather seemed to improve, and we landed as if nothing had happened. It was a guerrilla rainstorm sky where you could see sunlight while also seeing pitch-black rain clouds. Does it really get like this even in midwinter?

By the way, by the time the plane door opened, it was 15 minutes before the departure time for the flight to Fukue, but they had considered the connecting passengers, and we were led by staff to a different exit from the other passengers to head to the boarding gate.

And, it seems the preparations for the Fukue-bound flight were also delayed, so boarding only began after the departure time had passed.

The plane heading to Fukue Airport is a propeller plane. Naturally, there is no boarding bridge, so we head there by bus, but...

It's pouring rain! Since we were exposed to the rain from the moment we left the bus until we entered the plane, I gave it a go and ran for it, but I still got soaked.

The inside of the plane looks like this. It's a relatively large aircraft for a propeller plane.

So, I was ready for takeoff... but the rain intensified andlightning started striking all over the place so takeoff preparations weretemporarily suspended. In the end, we finally took to the skies with a delay of over 30 minutes.

To Fukue Island

By the way, sincethis was my first time on a propeller plane it was quite a fresh experience. Compared to the rapid acceleration of a jet, it was much more modest, and I was struck by how it took off so gently at a speed that made me wonder, "Can this thing really fly?" It was also very interesting to seethe landing gear retracting after takeoff is also very interesting.

As we left the airport and headed west, a landscape spread out before us that made the bad weather around the airport seem like a lie.

Passing over the Saga and Sasebo areas, we entered theEast China Sea.

Before I knew it, we were in landing configuration, and as we descended, the main island of the Goto archipelago,Fukue Island came into view.

I could see several small hills, but among them,an uncoordinated ocher-colored hill caught my eye. I wonder why it's that color.

And then, the landing gear came out with a whir...

We continued to descend.

The ground is really close.

And then,we landed with quite a bit of downward force. Since the aircraft is light, it probably floats gently during takeoff, but needs to be dropped onto the ground with some force to stabilize during landing.

So, despite the significant delay, I arrived safely atGoto-Fukue Airport. The weather was fine.

And since I had plannedan itinerary to go around the island counter-clockwise this time, even though I love public transportation, I ended up rentinga rental car. It's difficult to fully sightsee on remote islands without a rental car.

To Dozaki Church

The first spot I visited was, located north of the central city area of Fukue,Dozaki Church. After leaving my car in the free parking lot and walking along the path by the water...

a brick church with a sense of history appeared. The inside is amuseum, and you can tour it for a reasonable admission fee of 300 yen.

This is what it looks like when you go around to the front of the church. It was thefirst church built after the ban on Christianity was lifted in the Meiji era, and it has a long history ofover 100 years.

Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside, so I don't have any pictures, but in addition to an interior that feels likeThe Catholic Church, there were plenty of materials, and I was able to deepen my understanding of the history and lives of Christians in the Goto Islands.

It goes without saying thatmany hidden Christians lived in hiding in the Goto Islands during the era of Christian persecution. Even today, the percentage of Christians is high, and churches of various sizes exist everywhere.

...With that, I finished sightseeing at Dozaki Church and headed next toMizunoura Church.

To Mizunoura Church

When you search for a route from Dozaki Church to Mizunoura Church, the standard result is to head back toward the city center and then take National Route 384 northwest.

……However, I am a fundamentalist who refuses to retrace my steps. Noticing a road stretching along the coast, I decided to push forward on the physically shortest route. As it turns out, the travel time is exactly the same…….

This road has many curves and steep elevation changes, so I wouldn't recommend it for normal driving…… but if your goal is to enjoy some intense driving and the scenery, it's actually quite a good option.

However, roads that are difficult to pass on and have poor visibility continue endlessly, so be careful if you aren't confident in your driving. By the way, I encountered three oncoming vehicles along the way, and miraculously, all of them were near passing bays. I was seriously lucky.

And so, I arrived at Mizunoura Church. After climbing the long stairs from the parking lot, a pure white building comes into view.

The contrast with the blue sky is truly beautiful.

The interior is open to the public up to the entrance area, allowing you to view the decor, but you are not allowed to go any further inside.

By the way, although I didn't capture it in a photo, it had quite a lot of depth and was a fairly large church.

To Jodake Observatory

Mizunoura Church is built on a slope, but if you continue driving up the hill, you will reach the Jodake Observatory.

The view looks like this.

At this point, I was already thinking, “Wow! What a great view!” but actually, there are stairs that lead even higher up.

At the top, there is a radio tower, which also serves as the Jodake Observatory. From here, you can enjoy a 360-degree view.

It's hard to convey the impact in a photo, but I was able to fully enjoy the spectacular view spreading out before me without anything blocking it. The stairs are steep, but it's not far from the parking lot, so I recommend it.

Even so, the coastline of Fukue Island has a very complex shape…….

Having enjoyed the view like that, I returned to the parking lot.

By the way, if you think of the current location as a clock, it's around 12 o'clock. Since the starting point in the center of Fukue is around 3 o'clock, the distance traveled so far is about π/2. From here, I'll head straight west.

To Gyoran Kannon Observatory

So, I sped off in the car and arrived at the Gyoran Kannon Observatory, located at about the 10 o'clock position. There is no parking lot, so I parked on the side of the road.

The view is excellent because it is located on a cliff that drops off toward the East China Sea.

Gyoran Kannon is one of the Thirty-Three Kannon statues. It seems it was built to pray for large catches and safe voyages in the East China Sea.

The gourd-shaped island visible when looking to the northwest is Saganoshima Island. Although they are called the Goto Islands, there are countless small islands in addition to the five main islands. A regular ferry runs three round trips a day from Kaizu Port visible in the foreground, and I was able to watch it as it departed.

Looking to the south, you can see Takahama Beach. The sparkling white sand and the emerald green sea are breathtakingly beautiful.

Also, as mentioned above, the observation area is located on a sheer cliff, so you need to be careful not to accidentally slip and fall while captivated by the view.

So, watching the sunset sink into the horizon from here... would have been an option, but since I had another sunset spot in mind, I sped off in the car again and headed south.

To Osezaki Lighthouse

My destination was Osezaki Lighthouse. It's at about the 7:30 position on a clock face. I was anxious because the sun was already quite low, but in the end, I arrived at a pretty nice time.

The coastline in this entire area is all sheer cliffs. The scenery of the great outdoors illuminated by the setting sun was so beautiful that I found myself muttering to myself, 'Wow, this is amazing...'.

Osezaki Lighthouse is located at the westernmost point of Fukue Island, and since it's a place where a lighthouse is built, there is nothing to block the view in the surrounding area.

Looking to the east, away from the sea, it looks like this. Although it is on the inland side of the island, a bay called Tamanoura Bay cuts into the land, creating a very complex terrain.

By the way, some of you might be wondering why no photos of the lighthouse itself have appeared even though I said I was at the lighthouse.

And so, when I zoom in here...

Yes, there's the lighthouse.

Actually, there is a considerable distance and elevation difference from the parking lot on the cliff to the lighthouse on the cape, so I gave up on going down to the lighthouse for this itinerary. Well, if you want to worship the sunset, it's probably safer to take photos from an observation deck where you can see the lighthouse as part of the set.

Standing with me at the observation deck looking out at the sea is the Goddess of Prayer statue. It seems that many soldiers headed south during the Pacific War using Osezaki as their last sight of home, and it was built to pray for the repose of their souls and for peace, as they never returned.

They say that if you ring the bell next to the goddess statue, your wishes will come true. While thanking the heavens for being able to see such a beautiful view, I greedily rang the bell.

With that, I watched the sunset sink along with the goddess statue.

After that, I went down the stairs to the parking lot. Actually, be aware that you have to gain a fair amount of potential energy just to get to the observation deck.

Then, I drove fearfully through the pitch-black country roads after the sun had set and arrived at today's lodging. This concludes the day.

...And that seems like a good place to wrap up the first part. To be continued in the second part!