The true appeal of this island in the northwest of Nagasaki, with the untouched abundance of its natural environment, is to be found in its history and mysteries, as well as in its exquisite sea and gourmet foods. Tsushima, an island with a delightful rias-type coastline, has flourished as a stopover point between Japan and Asia since ancient times. Iki, home to over 1,000 shrines on a single island, is famous as Japan’s foremost place of power. Enjoy the flavor of Japan’s good old days on these extraordinary islands.
Tsushima
Iki
Aso Bay has one of the most beautiful rias-type coastlines in Japan. In this cruise of about 90 minutes, you can take in sights such as Manzeki Bridge, spanning high over a canal, and mystical Watazuki Shrine, with its Torii arches standing amid the sea. There’s an observation platform on the island which commands a view across Kayano Bay. The view as the evening sun descends is superb.
Take to a sea kayak to land on an uninhabited island, where you can enjoy your lunch amid its pristine natural environment. Nokowaki-iwa, a sheer cliff about 50 meters high, is believed to have served as a natural fortress to protect the island in ancient times.
Every room has an ocean view, looking out across the majestic Tsushima Channel. The restaurant serves local Tsushima cuisine. Stone-roasted dishes, in which seasonal seafood delicacies are grilled to soft plumpness by infrared rays, are a special treat.
The approach path to mystical Kojima Shrine, known as “Japan’s Mont Saint Michel”, emerges from the sea at low tide. At high tide, when there is no approach path, you can make an excursion around it in a style of a rowboat that has been used in Japan since ancient times.
In the Yayoi period (300 BC to 300 AD), Iki, then known as “Ikikoku”, was a royal capital of the sea, with abundant international color. You can learn more about Iki’s history by looking through the glass at the actual work of restoring items unearthed on the island.
Uninhabited Tatsunoshima Island is known as “the jewel box of Genkai-nada sea”. The gently-sloping sandy beach sparkles as you approach the island. The sea here is of such extraordinary clarity that, on a clear day, ships appear to be floating in space.
Iki Dolphin Park and Resort is a marine park created by partitioning a natural inlet. Spend some soothing time with the charming bottlenose dolphins, while enjoying coffee and pancakes.
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