valley dani, tani 谷
waterfall taki 滝
SAFETY AND COMFORT ON BOARD
Since there are thousands of islands in Japan every day, from Wakkanai, Hokkaido to Yonaguni-jima, there are hundreds of ships with tens of thousands of passengers at sea. How safe, and how comfortable, are the ferries?
First consideration: Safety. Japan’s passenger shipping industry is second to none in its safety record. It is subject to one of the world’s most rigorous inspection regimens and the fleet is regarded as one of the best maintained in the world. Nevertheless, there have been catastrophes. The last major disaster was in 1963. Then, the Midori Maru bound for Kumejima hit sudden squalls and unusually high seas and foundered on a sand island, an uninhabited outcropping in the Keramas. She went down and 112 lives were lost. Since that time, there have been no such disasters in the Ryukyus.
Second consideration: Comfort. Broadly speaking, there are three sizes of ships used for passenger ferry traffic: small, medium and large. Small ships, for trips under an hour, usually offer hard plastic seats both in the cabin and outdoors. It’s not very comfortable but at least the trip is short. Medium-sized ships, used for journeys that take 2–4 hours, generally have reclining airline-style seating, air-conditioning, restrooms and a snack bar. In addition, there is always outdoor space on top for better viewing or fresh air. On longer journeys of 5–20 hours or more, large ships will always have comfortable in-board seating, tatami-style resting accommodations, dining facilities and, at additional expense, private cabins, the most comfortable of all. But don’t worry. Most passengers sleep quite well in the tatami rooms. One important safety and comfort note: passengers are not allowed to sleep in their vehicles. There is the danger of poisoning from carbon monoxide gas or other fumes.
The Queen Coral getting underway for Yoron-to.
Typical passenger seating on board.
Clean and comfortable tatami-style sleeping/resting accommodations are available on longer voyages.
Long-distance ferries are big. Parking your car is like driving in a great covered parking lot or on an aircraft carrier.
Okinawa’s Bitter Melon
It’s been claimed to be a cure-all for just about everything that ails you: cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure. In fact, the bitter melon or bitter gourd has a remarkable combination of nutritional value and vita-mins. In Okinawa, where they are favored, they are called goya (ゴ—ヤ―). The Japanese word is nigauri (苦瓜) but in Japan everyone calls them goya too. Technically, the plant is Momordica charantia, a tropical and sub-tropical vine in the gourd family. Their nearest relations are squash, pumpkins, zucchini, watermelons, cucumbers, luffa plants and various melons. What makes goya stand out is that they are really, really bitter, almost inedible.
But that doesn’t stop the Okinawans from eating them. Known as the longest-lived people on earth, Okinawans claim that their longevity comes from their easygoing island lifestyle, happiness in family life and diet, which mostly comprises fish and vegetables. The goya is credited with all kinds of superlatives and believed to be about the most healthful food one can eat. Given its bitterness, the plant is prepared and eaten when it is young and freshly light green, even yellowish. As it gets older and darker, it is increasingly inedible.
The most popular Okinawan dish featuring the goya melon is called goya chanpuru (ゴ—ヤ―チヤンプル—). Chanpuru is Okinawan for “something mixed” and refers to the combination of ingredients stir fried in the dish as well as Okinawan culture as a whole. It’s not Japanese and it’s not Chinese. Rather, it’s a rich combination mixed up and only found in the Ryukyu Islands. Here’s a simple, favorite recipe for stir-fried goya.
A bitter gourd hanging from a vine.
A plate of stir-fried goya chanpuru.
Goya Chanpuru (Stir-fried Bitter Gourd)
Serves 2
1 Goya bitter melon
pinch of sea salt
5 oz (150 gm) pork back ribs or thinly sliced pork (Okinawans often use spam)
1 pack tofu
sesame oil
cooking liquor such as Okinawa awamori
1 cup (50 g) soybean sprouts (other vegetables can be added as well, such as small slices of onions, carrots, green peppers, and mushrooms)
soy sauce
instant bouillon (or dried bonito powder)
2 eggs, beaten
1. Slice the bitter gourd in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp with a spoon. Then dice the halves about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. You’ll get many crescent-shaped pieces.
2. Mix the bitter gourd with a pinch of salt in a bowl and leave to stand for about 10 minutes. This removes much of the bitterness.
3. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
4. Break the tofu with your fingers into bite-sized pieces and fry them in a pan with the sesame oil until they become brown. Then transfer them to a dish.
5. Fry the pork in the pan with the sesame oil and cooking liquor at low heat until it’s brown and crispy.
6. Put the bitter gourd back in the pan and fry with the pork at high heat.
7. When the bitter gourd wilts, add the tofu and soybean sprouts and more cooking liquor. Fry and mix well.
8. Season with soy sauce and bouillon (or dried bonito powder).
9. Add the beaten egg to the pan. Mix and cook all at low heat until the egg is half cooked.
PART 1
THE SATSUNAN ISLANDS
薩南諸島
The Satsunans (薩南諸島; Satsunan-shotō) are the island portion of Kagoshima-ken. The balance of the prefecture lies on the mainland. Unlike the more southerly Okinawan Islands, the Satsunan Islands, especially the northerly ones, have a more temperate climate, only vaguely subtropical. Although it rarely ever freezes, it can be cool, even cold, in the winter. The islands are best visited in the summer, but of course at that time it can be very hot and humid. Spring is best as fall can mean typhoons. Overall, the vegetation of southern Kyushu Island, the Kagoshima area, the Satsuma and Ōsumi Peninsulas and the Satsunan Islands is blessed with more than abundant rainfall. Thus it
