What matters is not time, money, or things, but 'feelings' [2024 Okinawa Reflection Diary 06]
▼ Stories so far
01■I can tell every cell in my body is rejoicing, I'm home, Okinawa
02■Please forgive my 35 years of neglect
03■Life is a journey of connecting, spreading, and nurturing the love and peace of each individual
04■Okinawa Ichiba Monochrome Sketch
05■People with common interests will always meet someday
・
Okinawa Day 4, November 3rd, I went to Iheya Island, where I had wanted to go for a long time.
I left the 'Yanbaru Hot Cafe' in Nakijin, where I was taken care of, and boarded the ferry from Unten Port.
I was truly overwhelmed by the rough waves after crossing the reef of the main island,
but I did my best while remembering the hairstyle of the life jacket promotion campaign girl posted at the port... in the restroom lol
And then, arrival
What a wonderful blue, it's wrapped in a very calm energy.
I finally landed on Iheya Island, known as the island of 'Terushi', which means sun god.
I immediately went into the sea.
Due to this year's overly hot summer with no typhoons and the long-lasting rise in seawater temperature, the coral seemed to have suffered quite a bit of damage.
Even so, while watching the reflection on the water surface like a mirror from underwater, I remembered the coral reef views and schools of fish I saw in Yoron Island and Ishigaki Island over 35 years ago, and I was very, very moved.
The rice is before the second harvest.
Iheya Island is a rare island in Okinawa where rice cultivation is popular, and what's more, two crops can be grown.
They say they grow not only the so-called short-grain Japonica rice but also long-grain varieties used for the Awamori made on this island. There must be a young generation with a pioneering spirit.
The rice ears at dusk are very beautiful.
After that, I visited the 'Nento Hiramatsu' (a natural monument)
I stopped by the joint store in the northernmost village called Dana,
and passed along the west coast in the twilight.
I burned the scenery, which looked like a world of paper-cutting, into my eyes and heart.
There is a phrase on this island called 'Iheya Jutei'.
I suppose it refers to a peaceful way of interacting with people.
At the izakaya where I went for dinner, people gathered before I knew it, talked to me, and we chatted, and everyone connected in some way.
It became a very good time.
Across from the inn is the sea.
And stars so bright they seemed to spill over.
It was probably the best starry sky I've ever seen.
Maybe second only to the Akashi Observatory planetarium lol
It was shining so brightly it was breathtaking.
When I looked closely, the reclining Orion constellation showed its face from the horizon.
What a wonderful day it is, thank you so much.
Being able to reach this point is all thanks to my life so far.
Although life involves letting go of many things, I will continue to cherish what is important and live through it.
What is important, that is,
not things like time or money, but 'feelings', I suppose.
That is what I have been thinking about
every day, all the time, during this trip to Okinawa.
....