Kurimajima Island

　　Miyakojima Island has three islands connected respectively by bridges. We were going to visit all of them, and we headed for one of them, Kurimajima Island at first. There were very few cars on the way, so I drove our car slowly to see around. The landscape around us was so beautiful. Cars run on the left side and traffic signs were the same as those of my hometown, but the natural scene was completely different from what we were used to seeing. Crossing Kurima bridge, I came across an elementary school. I imagined how the schoolkids' lives were there. Japan is a tiny country, but it has lots of climatic variations for its size.
　　We dropped in at a supermarket on the way to the next island, Irabujima Island, to see the local foods on the shelves. Two foods caught my eye there, one was raw bonito slices and the other was mimiga salad! I knew mimiga by its name, but had never eaten it. Firstly, raw bonito, we call sashimi, was great. This fish goes bad rapidly, so you must eat them on its landed day, if you like its raw state. Next, mimiga salad! It's okinawan original food and mimiga means pig's ear. It was my first time to eat it, but I liked it. If I didn't drive, I would get 'shochu', Japanese white distilled liquor to enjoy with mimiga salad. To be honest, I'd been reluctant to eat mimiga before then, but such reluctance disappeared.

　


宮古島には付属する島が３つある。それを全て見て回るつもりだった。東平安名崎を出て来間島に向かった。途中の景色が実に楽しい。日本だから左側通行だし、道路標識ももちろん松山市と何ら変わらないが、景色がエキゾチック。海がきれい、例えようもない。人口密集地を外れているので道はガラガラ。キョロキョロしながらの運転となった。来間大橋を渡って来間島へ。小さな小学校があった。この島での暮らしはどんなだろうか？小さな日本だけど、その割には変化に富んでいる。

来間島を出て伊良部島までの途中でスーパーマーケットに寄った。どんな食材が売られているのかと、、、そして、カツオの刺身とミミガーサラダを試してみた。どちらもうまかった。運転中でなければ地元の焼酎も飲んでいただろう。ミミガーはちょっと抵抗があったのだが、、、抵抗はなくなった。そして伊良部島へ渡る！