Depending on how you count them, there are at least a half dozen minor archipelagos comprising the main great archipelago of the Ryukyus. Each minor group consists of three to five or ten or more inhabited islands, plus many more uninhabited isles and islets. The words jima, shima or tō are used to describe one individual island and are appended as a suffix to the island’s name. You’ll also see the characters 離島 from time to time. This means isolated or outlying island and is pronounced ritō. There’s also kotō, which means solitary island. Its characters are 孤島. Finally, on occasion, you’ll see 岩 at the end of an island’s name. This character is iwa and can be translated as “islet” but is more usually “rock.”
AWAMORI (泡盛)
Unique to the islands of Okinawa, Awamori is distilled, high-proof liquor similar to vodkas, rums and whiskeys, and is therefore much more powerful than fermented or brewed beverages such as beer, wine or saké. Made with long-grained Indica rice from Thailand, fermented with black koji yeast, then subject to a single-distillation process, Awamori is typically found in the 60–80 proof range (30–40 percent alcohol), although some are distilled as high as 120 (60 percent alcohol). High-quality Awamoris are aged in cool underground caves in clay pots. When aged for at least three years, Awamoris may be called kūsu (古酒; old liquor). Premium Awamoris can run into the hundreds of dollars for one container. Perhaps for this reason, the traditional Awamori drinking vessel is a tiny, thimble-sized cup called a saka-jiki. When properly served, Awamori is accompanied by a carafe of mineral water and some ice. It may be taken neat, on the rocks or diluted with a little water. A special version of Awamori is made by the addition of herbs, spices, honey and . . . a whole poisonous Habu pit viper! Thought to have medicinal, restorative or even some aphrodisiac properties, this version is called Habushu (ハブ酒) after the deadly Habu snake.
USEFUL JAPANESE ISLAND TERMS
north kita 北
south minami 南
east higashi 東
west nishi 西
great/large/big dai, ōkii 大
small ko, shō, chiisai 小
prefecture ken 県
park kōen 公園
garden teien 庭園
hot spring onsen 温泉
archipelago (many islands) shotō 諸島
archipelago (mixed/round) guntō 群島
archipelago (arc/straight line) rettō 列島
island shima, jima, tō 島
rock/islet iwa 岩
isolated (outlying) island ritō 離島
solitary island kotō 孤島
main island hontō 本島
mainland hondo 本土
offshore oki 沖
port/harbor minato, kō 港
cape misaki 岬
promontory/point zaki 崎
lighthouse tōdai 灯台
sea/ocean umi, kai 海
coast/shore kaigan 海岸
bay wan 湾
strait/channel kaikyō 海峡
beach hama 浜
river gawa, kawa 川
lake ko 湖
peninsula hantō 半島
hill oka 丘
mountain yama, zan, san 山
peak daké, také 岳
cave do 洞
valley dani, tani 谷
waterfall taki 滝
SAFETY AND COMFORT ON BOARD
Since there are thousands of islands in Japan every day, from Wakkanai, Hokkaido to Yonaguni-jima, there are hundreds of ships with tens of thousands of passengers at sea. How safe, and how comfortable, are the ferries?
First consideration: Safety. Japan’s passenger shipping industry is second to none in its safety record. It is subject to one of the world’s most rigorous inspection regimens and the fleet is regarded as one of the best maintained in the world. Nevertheless, there have been catastrophes. The last major disaster was in 1963. Then, the Midori Maru bound for Kumejima hit sudden squalls and unusually high seas and foundered on a sand island, an uninhabited outcropping in the Keramas. She went down and 112 lives were lost. Since that time, there have been no such disasters in the Ryukyus.
Second consideration: Comfort. Broadly speaking, there are three sizes of ships used for passenger ferry traffic: small, medium and large. Small ships, for trips under an hour, usually offer hard plastic seats both in the cabin and outdoors. It’s not very comfortable but at least the trip is short. Medium-sized ships, used for journeys that take 2–4 hours, generally have reclining airline-style seating, air-conditioning, restrooms and a snack bar. In addition, there is always outdoor space on top for better viewing or fresh air. On longer journeys of 5–20 hours or more, large ships will always have comfortable in-board seating, tatami-style resting accommodations, dining facilities and, at additional expense, private cabins, the most comfortable of all. But don’t worry. Most passengers sleep quite well in the tatami rooms. One important safety and comfort note: passengers are not allowed to sleep in their vehicles. There is the danger of poisoning from carbon monoxide gas or other fumes.
The Queen Coral getting underway for Yoron-to.
Typical passenger seating on board.
Clean and comfortable tatami-style sleeping/resting accommodations are available on longer voyages.
Long-distance ferries are big. Parking your car is like driving in a great covered parking lot or on an aircraft carrier.
Okinawa’s Bitter Melon
It’s been claimed to be a cure-all for just about everything that ails you: cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure. In fact, the bitter melon or bitter gourd has a remarkable combination of nutritional value and vita-mins. In Okinawa, where they are favored, they are called goya (ゴ—ヤ―). The Japanese word is nigauri (苦瓜) but in Japan everyone calls them goya too. Technically, the plant is Momordica charantia, a tropical and sub-tropical vine in the gourd family. Their nearest relations are squash, pumpkins, zucchini, watermelons, cucumbers, luffa plants and various melons. What makes goya stand out is that they are really, really bitter, almost inedible.
But that doesn’t stop the Okinawans from eating them. Known as the longest-lived people on earth, Okinawans claim that their longevity comes from their easygoing island lifestyle, happiness in family life and diet, which mostly comprises fish and vegetables. The goya is credited with all kinds of superlatives and believed to be about the most healthful food one can eat. Given its bitterness, the plant is prepared and eaten when it is young and freshly light green, even yellowish. As it gets older and darker, it is increasingly inedible.