 Most viewed - Suo-Oshima 周防大島町 |
Suo-Oshima is the third largest island in the Seto Inland Sea and slightly smaller than the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Population is almost 20,000. The island looks like a goldfish and easily accessible by bus/taxi from the mainland via Ohashi Bridge.392 viewsClosest train station is Obatake Station not far from Iwakuni.
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Approaching Obatake Station. Suo-Oshima island is in sight from the train.281 views
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Large pieces of the Battleship Mutsu were also displayed outside.272 views
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Bow from Battleship Mutsu.268 views
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Propeller on the right.266 views
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Model of the Mutsu.262 views
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Photos of when Battleship Mutsu was salvaged during 1970-1978. About 75% of the ship was recovered.260 views
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Sketch of what the Battleship Mutsu looked like on the sea bottom.253 views
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Binoculars from Battleship Mutsu.250 views
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Suo-Oshima island, Yamaguchi manhole249 views
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Replica of bunk beds on the Battleship Mutsu.240 views
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There is bus transportation from Obatake Station, but they run once an hour or so. If you want to visit the museum, you can take a nori-ai taxi (a small van) at Obatake Station costing 400 yen to the museum. The ride is maybe 10-15 min. or so.239 views
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Gun from the Battleship Mutsu.239 views
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JR Obatake Station platform.222 views
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Porthole from Battleship Mutsu.222 views
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Personal articles of the crew are included.220 views
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Many exhibits inside Mutsu Memorial Museum. When the Battleship Mutsu sank, 1,121 sailors died out of 1,474 crew. They hold a memorial service annually on June 8.219 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.218 views
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The museum is a large, two-story, Japanese-style house donated in 1997 by the family of Fukumoto Choemon (1881-1970) who emigrated to California and became successful and rich enough to build this house after returning to Japan. The museum opened in 1999.216 views
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Swords and pistols from Battleship Mutsu.204 views
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Piece of the bow that is displayed. Other gun turrets and parts from the Mutsu are displayed at the Etajima Naval Academy in Hiroshima, Yamato Museum in Kure, and Yasukuni Museum in Tokyo.200 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.199 views
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The Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii.194 views
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Monument for Battleship Mutsu.188 views
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Go right for the front entrance.184 views
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Bus schedule. Very few runs.183 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.182 views
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About Battleship Mutsu180 views
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He knew immediately that I was from Hawai'i. That made me feel good actually, to know that I still haven't lost my Hawaiian traits even after living in Japan for many years.179 views
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Suo-Oshima Town Hall was one of the stops of the nori-ai taxi.178 views
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To me, the most significant thing about Suo-Oshima is that about 3,900 island residents emigrated to Hawai'i during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.178 views
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Old directory of all Japanese and Japanese-Americans living in Hawai'i. Never knew about this book.177 views
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Mutsu Memorial Museum first opened in 1972 in a previous location. The museum reopened here in 1994.176 views
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The scrapbooks and other delicate materials should be digitized though, something which they haven't done yet.174 views
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I enjoyed my day trip to Suo-Oshima. I want visit again and see their Hawaiian festival in summer and the southern coast. Suo-Oshima tourist Web site174 views
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The museum is a spacious Japanese-style house.173 views
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The museum staff person there could immediately tell that I was from Hawai'i even though I had said little more than "Hello" in fluent Japanese.173 views
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Mutsu Memorial Museum exhibits articles recovered by Battleship Mutsu that mysteriously exploded on June 8, 1943 and sank 3 km off the coast of Suo-Oshima. 陸奥記念館173 views
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People from Suo-Oshima were among the first boatload of Kan'yaku Imin immigrants to Hawai'i in 1885. They emigrated due to dire economic conditions on the island.172 views
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Area where Battleship Mutsu sank.171 views
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Bus stop closest to the Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii.169 views
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The museum also has two rooms full of Japanese school stuff. One room is full of books, scrapbooks, etc., donated by Ichisaburo Nakamura. He was a member of the Hawaii Kyoiku-kai (education council) which developed and published Japanese school textbooks.168 viewsOne of his scrapbooks had group photos of the Hawaii Kyoiku-kai who met every summer. I could recognize some of the faces. They were mainly Japanese school principals/teachers in Hawai'i. I spent a good amount of time in that room alone. Another room displayed old Japanese school textbooks including those published in Japan. I remember some of them from Japanese school and UH Manoa. Amazing to see all of them in one room.
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Oar from the Hokule'a signed by Nainoa Thompson when they visited Suo-Oshima in May 2007. That was a big event for the island and the Hawaiian community in Japan. I saw the Hokule'a only when they arrived at Yokohama.167 viewsThe Hokule'a is a traditional canoe where they use only the stars, wave motions, and bird observations for navigation like they did in ancient times. Nainoa was a pioneer in resurrecting and mastering this ancient form of navigation. You can read about their adventures on Suo-Oshima here, from May 20:
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Area where Battleship Mutsu sank.165 views
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View from Oshima Ohashi Bridge.164 views
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The museum is full of panel exhibits, mementos, artifacts, old books, and scrapbooks. It had a lot more than I had expected. 164 views
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Bus schedule. Buses don't run that often.162 views
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Anchor from Battleship Mutsu which was world's most powerful battleship when it was built in 1921. The museum is open 9 am to 4:30 pm. Admission 420 yen.161 views
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From the bus stop, cross this bridge over a river.160 views
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Museum up ahead.160 views
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All the books in the museum are in open stacks where you can pull it out and read freely. Great for AJA researchers. 160 views
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Cross the bridge over the river.159 views
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The sign points the way.158 views
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View of Suo-Oshima from the 2nd floor of the museum. The island is quite well populated with houses and fishing ports in many locations.157 views
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After seeing the nikkei museum, I tried to catch the taxi van to the bus terminal, but missed it. The museum staff kindly asked his friend to drive me to the bus terminal. Souvenir shop near Ohashi Bridge.154 views
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Oshima Ohashi Bridge154 views
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I saw a few small whirlpools.154 views
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On the island, I also visited the town of Kuka where there is a Hawaiian restaurant called Aloha Orange (unfortunately closed when I was there).154 views
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I took the bus back to Obatake Station in Yanai. It was about 25 miles.153 views
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Bus fares.151 views
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Intersection at the end of Ohashi Bridge.150 views
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Kuka Folk History Museum 150 views
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Didn't have time to see the Nagisa Aquarium adjacent to the Mutsu Memorial Museum.149 views
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Then turn left as the sign says.147 views
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We couldn't enter the plane, probably because it was off-season.147 views
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Nagisa Park is also a camping ground.145 views
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Because of this, the island has a sister-city relationship with Kauai and holds an annual Hawaiian festival in the summer.144 views
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Bus terminal in central Oshima near Ohashi Bridge. Kind of run-down, former souvenir shop on the 2nd floor.143 views
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Another place I got off the bus was here at Mutsu Park and beach. This is at the top tip of the gold fish tail if you look at a map of the island.143 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.141 views
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Bus stop137 views
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Kuka Folk History Museum is part of the learning village.136 views
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Approaching Towa135 views
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And a few white-sand beaches.134 views
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Oshima Ohashi Bridge. Across the bridge is Yanai.133 views
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From the bus terminal, I took a bus running along Suo-Oshima's northern coast. Turned out to be quite scenic.133 views
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Kuka also has this history museum called the Kuka Folk History Museum (久賀歴史民俗資料館). Open 9 am to 4:30 pm (enter by 4 pm). Closed Mon. Admission 400 yen.133 views
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Nishi Ihota bus stop132 views
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The main road runs along the northern coast for the most part. Just wanted to see what the island looked like.131 views
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Nagisa Park had this retired sea plane from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.131 views
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Hachiman Continuing Education Village has a folk history museum, meeting rooms, hall, cultural facilities, and a small cafe. 八幡生涯学習のむら129 views
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Got off here at Suo-Hachiman stop in Kuka.128 views
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The Kuka Folk History Museum included this small exhibit on the island's emigrants to Hawai'i. It shows some of the stuff the emigrants brought back with them when they returned to Japan.124 views
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Centipede123 views
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The museum has exhibits of local fishing and farming.123 views
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Towa Sogo Center, a community center in Towa.123 views
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Map of the Hachiman Continuing Education Village. It's basically a community/cultural center. They even hold hula and ukulele classes here. 八幡生涯学習のむら121 views
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Snow coats.121 views
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About the Hachiman Continuing Education Village in Japanese. Web site here118 views
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There are a few small islands near Suo-Oshima, uninhabited.116 views
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Old stone bath116 views
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Small beach at Mutsu Park.116 views
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Rural bus stop115 views
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Old stone bath, Important Cultural Property.115 views
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Jizo statues114 views
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Fishing nets.113 views
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Suo-Oshima is famous for mikan tangerines. You see them often on the island.113 views
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Here are two of the Kannon statues near the stone bath.111 views
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Kansha (thank you)110 views
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Many of the immigrants returned to Japan after their 3-year labor contract expired. They brought back all kinds of stuff even this heavy baking oven.109 views
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Around this area are 33 Kannon statues. 109 views
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Back on the bus to ride further east on the northern coast.109 views
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The island has many small fishing ports and towns.109 views
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Sazanseto Towa tourist souvenir shop.108 views
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The stone bath is the oldest in western Japan, built in the 12th century.107 views
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Next to Mutsu Park was Nagisa Park.107 views
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Water to extend your life.106 views
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Pillows105 views
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Once in a while, we saw a white-sand beach.104 views
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Jizo statues on Suo-Oshima island, Yamaguchi.103 views
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Japan-America goodwill baseball games.98 views
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Certificate of Appreciation from 1927. 96 views
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