8:50 AM Take a Bus from Oki Hospital
Your trip starts at the bus stop by the entrance to Oki Hospital, a public transportation hub of sorts in Okinoshima Town. Swing by the vending machines, then take a Fuse line bus bound for Iibi (飯美).
For a short guide on how to board the local bus, see here.
Pro-tip: sit by the window on the right side and keep your camera on standby. The bus route goes along the east coast of the island, which is dotted with numerous scenic views. Not once or twice will you wish to snap a quick picture!
9:33 AM Arrive at Kasuga-bashi Bus Stop
Bus stop shelters in Okinoshima Town come in all shapes and sizes, and this particular one is in the form of a covered rest area with toilet facilities tucked in a small building behind. The bus will take a turn left at the intersection once it drops you off but don’t feel tempted to follow. For the duration of this trip, you are essentially staying on the same road and seeing the sights that await on both sides.
Without further ado, let’s go!
Walk to Ebisu Shrine
Cross the street over the crosswalk in front of the bus stop and turn left. Walk down a quiet residential street, past a post office and beautiful Japanese-style houses. At one point you will see a lone vending machine. This is your last chance to buy a drink until noon, so consider getting an additional bottle of water.
Soon enough you will reach the intersection with the signage.
Sakimaya-Misaki Cape View Point is closed to the public at present, true. But if you walk a few more steps in its direction anyway, you are bound to notice a huge rock behind the windbreak wall, perched right on the coastline. Atop, in the shade of a curiously shaped pine tree, a keen eye may spot a tiny shrine building—the Ebisu Shrine. It is dedicated to a deity of the same name, counted among seven gods of good fortune in Japanese culture. Since he is usually depicted with a fishing rod and a fresh catch under his arm, fishermen see him as their patron god and often build his shrines close to the sea.
You can actually visit it and while at it, get your first look at Fuse seascape as well. Just walk a path on the right side of the rock then climb up the stone steps. Count on seagulls to provide a dramatic background sound to your adventure.
Walk to Jōdogaura Coast
Backtrack to the signage at the intersection, then follow the arrows for Jōdogaura Coast. In a few minutes, you should reach a car park with a Daisen-Oki National Park signboard. The building next to it houses a pop-up restaurant during peak tourist season. Toilet facilities are available as well.
Walking past the building, you will see another Daisen-Oki National Park signboard. This is the starting point of your Jōdogaura Coast experience.
Enjoy the scenic beauty
Here is how you can admire the Jōdogaura Coast from every possible angle.
First, walk up the dirt path behind the signboard to the covered rest area for your first look at the coast.
Next, go to the beach. Although the wooden walkway you saw from the rest area is closed now, stone steps provide an alternative route and are safe to walk.
Lastly, climb the wooden stairs from the beach to the lookout with benches and a geopark signboard.
Many make a mistake, thinking this seascape, while spectacular, is all that Fuse coastline has to offer. However, there are two more gems hidden in the area, both accessible through hiking trails from Jōdogaura Coast.
Hike to Kashiwazaki Cape Lookout
Shorter hike first?
Follow the signage by the wooden walkway for the Kashiwazaki Cape Lookout to the head of these two paths (you saw them from the covered rest area!).
Take the dirt path on your right. On your way, you will unlock another angle from which you can admire the Jōdogaura Coast. Once you snap photos to your heart’s content, follow the trail to your actual destination.
The lookout offers a bench, a geopark signboard and most importantly, a clear view of triangular islands to the background of Kashiwazaki Cape. Take a moment to contemplate the natural wonders of the islands, listening to the sound of crashing waves.
Hike to Torige Coast and a geopark site
For the longer hike, backtrack to the covered rest area behind the signboard and continue on the path uphill.
Be cautious of rocks and protruding tree roots. On your way, you will pass two landmarks—a stone bench (on your right), then sometime later crooked signage in Japanese (on your left). The path beyond the first landmark may be overgrown in places, but should still be visible, if slippery.
The crooked signage marks a place where the trail diverges.
The path straight ahead will take you to Torige Coast, one of the Fuse area’s best-kept secrets.
If you walk left, you will reach a geopark site with a signboard, which provides a bonus new angle for admiring the Jōdogaura Coast.
A word of caution—even if it may seem otherwise, no path connects this geopark site with the beach and wooden walkway you visited earlier. Please, go back the way you came.
12:00 PM Walk to Kasuga Shrine
As the noon chime echoes through the Fuse area, it is time to say goodbye to Jōdogaura Coast.
Backtrack to the Kasuga-Bashi bus stop, then keep going straight ahead over the bridge. You might want to stop by the vending machines in front of Restaurant Porest. If not, continue past them towards Kasuga Shrine. The torii gate, right across the street from the sandy beach, should be easy to spot.
Walk up the shrine approach, flanked by tall black pine trees. Were you to visit on the morning of the spring or autumn equinox, the view from the shrine buildings would feature the sun rising right in the middle of the torii gate.
Another point of interest is the roof of the main shrine. Red and blue masks placed under the crossing beams are quite a unique sight as far as decorative details go in the shrines around the Oki Islands. For nature lovers, however, black pine trees would steal the spotlight as natural monuments in their own might, with nagoran orchid flowers confirmed growing on their trunks. Signboards outside the shrine grounds provide more information for the interested.
On a side note, Kasuga Shrine is also known as one of the sites for the Fuse Yama-matsuri festival. It takes place biannually on the first Sunday in April. On that day, vines are carried in a ceremonial procession from here to another shrine, where Fuse locals wrap them around a sacred tree.
12:40 PM Enjoy Lunch at Restaurant Porest
How about a bite to eat?
The lunchtime crowd should have thinned already, so backtrack to Restaurant Porest. It’s located upstairs in the building you have passed en route to Kasuga Shrine. Downstairs are the toilet and shower facilities, the latter for those enjoying the swimming season on nearby Kasuga beach.
The menu offers set meals, ramen and udon noodles, as well as rice bowls with various toppings. You cannot go wrong with the ginger pork set (in the photo), but if you feel even more hungry than that, Porest’s famous tempura bowl rice is the right pick. Take a seat by the window to enjoy lunch with the view.
Have a good meal!
1:42 PM Take a bus from Kasuga-hashi Bus Stop
Leave Restaurant Porest no later than 1:30 PM and backtrack to Kasuga-bashi bus stop. Please, note that the bus will stop on the opposite side of the street. Even if you want to wait in the shade of the rest area for a bit—perfectly understandable on a hot, sunny day—it is best to cross the street by 1:40 PM at the absolute latest, so the driver can see you waiting.
Pro-tip: sit on the left side of the bus for another chance to snap pictures on your ride back.
End of your trip
—And you’re back!
The bus arrives at Oki Hospital at 2:25 PM. However, if you need to catch the afternoon ferry back to the mainland, do not get off here. Instead, stay on the same bus and let it take you to the port area. The stop closest to the ferry terminal is Pōto-mae (ポート前), where you can get off at 2:34 PM.
I hope you had a great time!
Author: Izabela Raczynska