It was my last day in Miyazaki. After my presentation at the conference, we promptly went to the station to catch the train going to Aoshima Island.

Aoshima is a small island measuring 1.5 kilometers in diameter and with a surface area of 4.4 hectares. More than 200 varieties of subtropical plants flourish on the island, including 5,000 palm trees, some of which are 350 years old. It was assigned as one of Japan’s National Special Natural Monuments.

There is a bridge connecting the island to the mainland. I was surprised to see Thailand’s Tuktuk’s are being used here. I wonder if some Miyazaki locals went to Thailand and got this idea.

I find the island interesting. The weird rock formations surrounding it are known as “Oni no Sentakuita” or Ogre’s Washboard. The perfectly straight rows of basalt rock look as if they must be the remnants of something man-made. But in fact, they are natural formations.

These are rock masses that drifted towards the island. The actions of waves continuously shaped and reshaped them for a very long time. The Neptunian rock originated 15 to 30 million years ago. It formed from the mud and sand rocks mixing together in the sea. The Ogre’s washboard covers an 8-kilometer stretch of coast from Aoshima to Kinchaku island. It was designated a precious natural monument in 1934.

The island is small, so we can walk around in a full circle in just a few minutes. A big Shinto gate marks the nearby entrance of the Aoshima shrine.

The shrine is located in the center of the island. It is famous for the ancient myth of Yamasachiko and his wife, Toyotamahime, the daughter of the god of the sea. In the myth, Yamasachiko loses his brother Umisachiko’s fishing hook along the coast of Aoshima island. He, so, flees to the Dragon Palace. It was believed that the shrine was dedicated to them before 820 AD.

Since the shrine is dedicated to a deity couple, the Aoshima shrine is known as a shrine for marriage. It is said that the shrine will bring luck to married couples. The shrine hosts important events. One such event is the Aoshima Shrine Hadaka Mairi in January, where men run naked into the sea. Another event is the Sea Crossing Festival at the end of July.

Inside the main shrine is an entrance to the jungle where there is a smaller shrine. Clay disks can be bought here and thrown for good luck. Also, there is a place where you can offer sea shells to the gods.

It’s nice to learn some myths while wandering around on this beautiful island of Aoshima.