Awaji Island: the Island flowing with powerful mysterious energy


When I cross over to an island I always become a little bit excited. It may introduce the imagination of encountering something new to me. Over Akashi strait from Kobe is Awaji Island, we can cross over to the island by a car via the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.



The length of the Akashi-Kaikyo is 3,911m, which is the longest bridge over a strait in the world, is sufficient for enjoying driving on the bridge. The beauty of the precision of the architecture and the panoramic sight from the top of the bridge( its height is 298m) including some ships, wavelets of the sea, blue water of the strait and the blue sky, those welcomed my wife and me.

After arriving on the island we looked back at the start-point land from the Awaji Service Area where we recovered from driving tiredness. With receiving the sea breeze, when I saw the view of the opposite shore including a mountain range, many buildings, the Akashi Strait and Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, I felt the minuteness of Japan from the scene.

The first created island of Japan


This picture above is the Goshuin of Izanagi Shrine, the proof of visiting there. 

What is Goshuin-stamp book?

According to the oldest chronicle of Japan, “Nihon-shoki”, two great gods, Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, created many islands of Japan. And the first of these was Awaji Island. We visited Izanagi Shrine where people have enshrined Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto. The air of the precinct made us feel cleansed and dignified. It is the proof of a good shrine for us. There was a big tree of approximately 700 year-of-age, and it gave us the energy of life. However speaking from the discovery of the proof of the first island, we couldn’t detect any fragments of it.


At many power spots

Awaji Island has a lot of hills, many small fields of agriculture and several cities. While gliding during those areas the blue sea often captured us. We were content just to drive in my car.

Awaji Island has a lot of famous aspects of agriculture and culture as well. Awaji onions are the best brand of onion, they are so sweet and delicious. A hamburger made with Awaji onion and fresh Awaji lettuce and Awaji beef is so delicious!

Awaji is the first origin of puppet theatre which has a five-hundred-year history. Puppet theatre radiated to many Japanese people in Japan from Awaji in the Edo period, the main characteristic of the theatre is the instant transformation of puppets and situations. A puppet controlled by three operators, usually they wear black cloths from head to toe. The stories of puppet theatre are dynamic and simple, and all the characters of puppets are definite. Moreover, the music of the theatre is dramatic and often with shouting, it’s dynamic and discordant, I think ( I have no ability to describe it, I want you to listen to the music). In summary it’s an illusion. Then even foreigners who can’t understand Japanese words are able to sufficiently enjoy it.  


Awaji is the largest producer of incense sticks ( an incense stick is used for worshiping your ancestors and Buddhists). A lot of incense stick factories hold one-hour-long experience of producing your own original incense sticks. You can make your own incense by choosing your favorite aroma from thirty species of aroma of flowers or woods. 

Naruto


In the southern strait between Awaji and Shikoku Island, the big whirlpools of Naruto are famous. Getting on a sightseeing ship at Fukura Harbor we closely looked at the whirlpools from the ship, we felt a marvelous energy from those whirlpools.

The sunset on the west shore

Two days before visiting Awaji I asked Frank, my friend, where we should visit, and he recommended Nojima Schola. It was past four o’clock. After getting off the ship at the harbor in the most south point we headed up driving to the last visiting point next to the most north point.



Sunset time in the November is early, I wanted to arrive there with enough time to look at the sunset. So we hurried up being shone on by the evening sun with emotional feelings. The building with madder red of Nojima Schola, which is a reformed and redecorated closed school-house, was beautiful. The madder red light is immune to fear and it is filled with hope to tomorrow. The great energy of the madder red sun relinquished our small daily idle thoughts completely. We had only to be flooded with it. The sunset into the calm Setouchi Sea brought us supreme happiness. It was like a natural meditation.

I thought about the reason for the first island. Japan is surrounded by seas and an ocean. Japan can look at sunrises and sunsets. Awaji Island is surrounded by seas too and it can look at sunrises and sunsets as well. I thought Awaji Island is a miniature of Japan.

My wife next to me said like in a monologue; “ Awaji Island is the strongest power spot ( the location thought to be flowing with the most powerful mysterious energy)”. I agreed with her idea and abandoned my thoughts.


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