December 23rd was the birthday of Ten-noh, the Japanese Shinto Priest King, and is an annual holiday. The days that followed, the 24th and 25th, were a Saturday and Sunday this year. Consequently, Dec. 23rd, 24th, and 25th were three consecutive holidays. A couple of months ago, my daughter wanted to visit Ishigakijima and Taketomijima Islands, so they became a topic of conversation in my house. Both islands are far away from here, but it's not so troublesome to visit them. There's a direct service between my hometown and Naha city in Okinawa and you can change planes in Naha city. I immediately booked air tickets and our hotel and we visited both islands the other day.
Both islands are located almost at the westernmost point of Japan, so Ishigakijima island often becomes a news topic because it is the nearest inhabited island to the Senkaku islands, of which China is about to deprive Japan. Ishigakijima island is well-known as an island of the base of the Japan Coast Guard, which is tasked with surveying the Senkaku islands. We enjoyed both islands' traditions, landscapes, and local cuisines, as well as seeing the most cutting-edge patrol vessels.
１２月２３日は天皇誕生日。日本では休日となり、続く２４、２５日の土日と重なり３連休となった。数ヶ月前、何かの時に石垣島と竹富島が我が家で話題になり、次女が一度行きたいという。それですぐに早期割引の航空券と宿を予約した。幸い、愛媛県松山市から沖縄の那覇市まで直行便がある。そこで乗りかえて更に西へ飛ぶ。日本のほとんど最西端に当たる島だ。今、シナが欲しがっている尖閣諸島に最も近い島で、尖閣諸島を管轄する海上保安庁の基地もここにある。
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