Our ferryboat veered off course to Hakata and passed Okinoshima Island. The waters around there was the scene of a hard‐fought battle in the Russo-Japanese War. Lots of Russian naval vessels were still left on the sea bottom beneath us. We sang a Japanese requiem, "Umi Yukaba," in tribute to the victims and offered Japanese sake.
Okinoshima Island is a solitary island in Genkainada, the waters at the north of Kyushu. Lots of national treasures were dug out on the island and it's called "Shosoin in the ocean". FYI, "Shosoin" is the storage facility for the treasures of the Imperial Household. It's a really mysterious island. Women are strictly prohibited to land on it and men are permitted conditionally. There is lots of information on the net. You google "Munakata Taisha".
Additionally the flagship of the Japanese Imperial Navy during the sea battle was "Battleship Mikasa" and the name of our ferryboat was also "Mikasa". It was the reason why we were particular with the ferryboat despite its big size for 20 passengers. The real "Mikasa" is now utilized as the museum of the Russo-Japanese War, adjacent to the U.S. naval base of the 7th Fleet in Yokosuka City. I wrote about the trip to Yokosuka City in the following entries so check it!
This is the end of the trip memos about Tsushima Island. Thank you for your attention.
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2009/07/bridge-of-mikas.html
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2011/07/location-of-sakano-ueno-kumo.html
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2009/07/flag-z.html
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2009/07/battleship-mika.html
フェリーは博多への航路を離れて沖ノ島のそばを通過した。この場所は日本海海戦の激戦地。我々のいる場所の海底には多くのロシア艦船が眠っている。我々はここで、鎮魂の歌を歌い、御神酒を捧げた。
この島は玄界灘に浮かぶ孤島。数多くの国宝が発掘され、海の正倉院と呼ばれるほどの島だが、いまだに謎の多い島。女人禁制の島で、一般人の立ち入りは厳しく制限されている。ネット上に英語での説明もあると思うので興味のある方々は『宗像大社』でググってみてください。
なお、日本海海戦の際の日本側の旗艦は戦艦三笠、そして我々の乗っている船はフェリーみかさ、我々がこのフェリーにこだわったのはここに理由がある。
長々と書いてきましたが、これで旅行記を終わります。読んでいただきありがとうございました。写真の日付は前回の海外旅行から修正できて折らず間違っています。
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