Itoman Peaceful Illumination - "Lights of Peace"

The 15th annual Itoman Peace Illumination took place at the Itoman Tourist Farm in Mabuni, Itoman.
This year’s theme was "the prayer of light to connect people".

This is one of Okinawa’s most popular winter events, drawing some 50,000 visitors each year. The venue, located in Itoman City, which experienced a fierce ground battle at the end of World War II, is beautifully decorated with 1.3 million lights, representing the approximate population of Okinawa, and carrying the people’s hopes for peace.

A special event called Starlight Wink, in which all the lights at the venue go out for one minute, is held every evening at 20:00. There are only 400 parking spaces available at the Itoman Wine Farm. When the parking lot is full, visitors may park at the Peace Memorial Park. A free shuttle service is provided between the Peace Memorial Park and Itoman Wine Farm during the event.


Place: Itoman Wine Farm (Itoman City)
Admission: 250 yen for persons aged 16 and over, free for children under 16.
For more information: Tel: 098-840-8135 (Business and Tourism Division, Itoman City Hall)

Now that the basic event premise is set, let me briefly tell you of our experience at this illumination.  We were directed to a parking spot by security with glow sticks and then walked to the ticket tent.  We had to pass through all of the festival food and games in order to get to the actual illumination.

The illumination itself was in two main sections.  I'm calling them the circus tent and the castle area. Everything that wasn't light viewing cost extra... which was disappointing but it is what it is.



The circus tent was composed of lights hung in a tent-like structure with rides off to one side .  One could also pet or ride a horse in this section.

The castle area had a blow-up castle in the middle and lights hanging all around.  A small animal train took riders around the castle periodically for a small fee.  O wanted to go in the castle and ride the train but we only had enough extra yen for one since she needed to be accompanied.  She chose the train (1000 yen for 2) and we rode in the monkey car.  She had so much fun.  Each car had two steering wheels for riders to pretend they were driving.  We turned and cried wee the whole way around the castle...  Unless she was petting the monkey and yelling at daddy to look at her, lol.

Blow up structures were found throughout the illumination that people posed for family pictures in front of.  You could also walk through a small conservatory building that was decorated with lights and had a mini-market for foods, crafts and trinkets inside.

Overall we really enjoyed the illumination and it was nice to be able to just let O run around as she pleased.  I think she was a little obsessed with the shark though. :D

We also paired this trip with a visit to the Peace Prayer Park Memorial Museum and a short walk around the grounds.  I think this made the trip even more worth the drive down there and filled out the evening nicely.  (And we got fantastic soba from a very sweet, little old man who runs a shop right next to the parking lot before going to the illumination.  Yum!)

Oyama Mayagama (Futenma Cat Cave)

Took the in-laws to a quick stop-off on our way to Kakazu Tadakai Park.  Oyama Mayagama is just outside of Futenma Gate 1 on 58.  If you're into local folklore, it's worth the ten minutes it takes to look around.

As all of the signs were in Japanese, I took the following info off of Okinawa Hai.

The legend of the Mayagama: 

“Maya” means “cat” in the Okinawan dialect. There is a legend that an evil spirit used to live in this cave a long, long time ago. It transformed into a cat and hid the local children. Local people beat the cat and it ran into a pot that was inside the cave. The people tied up the pot with rope so it could never escape, and they never saw it again.

In the same area, there are plaques showing the people that have lived here throughout history. The oldest picture is of the Azamabarujin people who lived about 600 to 6,000 years ago.

The men hunted wild boar while the women and children collected fruit. They caught fish, sea turtles, dugong and shells. They ate those sea animals by either boiling, cooking or just eating them raw. They commonly wore jewelry made from shells.





The picture of the village is a recreation of the same people. The food and tools were all from nature, such as, animals, dirt, stones and bones. The dwellings were 13×29 feet wide and were surrounded by stone or tree walls.

Please note that this is amidst family tombs, which are very sacred (no photos) and are private property. You will not be disturbing anyone as long as you stay around the cave ruin site.

Directions: From Foster’s commissary gate, turn left to drive south on 58 towards Futenma. There will be a stone sign for MCAS Futenma at the light, turn left and follow the road as it winds up the hill. When round the curve and you see the gate for Futenma, pull over and park on the side of the road.  You will see a picture of a cat next to some stairs on the left hand side of the road (when facing the gate).   

Nenpou-ji Temple

Continuing our adventure with my in-laws, we stopped by a pretty awesome temple near Kakazu Tadakai Park.  We got a little lost on the way, as we were following typical Okinawan directions we got off Okinawa-Hai.  (Altogether these directions were adequate but a little off... I tried to do a revision at the bottom of this post... but due to the nature of the temple's location I make no guarantees that they're not still confusing or a little hard to follow.)

We also spent a good five minutes debating where to park because we didn't know if you could drive through the temple gates.  We ended up parking outside the gates at the apartment building next to it just to be safe, but once inside realized a ton of parking was available for temple users.

This particular temple is for a religion known as Nenpou Shinkyou. 

It was founded by Reigen Ogura in 1923. The spirit of Nenpou Shinkyou proclaims that all people throughout the world, regardless of religion, nationality or cultural background, should join hands in fellowship to build a world without conflict. 

Nenpou Shinkyou teaches the True Way in which we should live – the Goseikun. Nenpou Shinkyou’s mission is for people to bring these teachings into their lives, to practice them, and thereby create a better world for everyone, a world where each day is filled with joy. 

The temple workers were kind enough to show us around and help us say a prayer while we were there.

To pray,you kneel in front of the pot filled with clay then light three incense sticks and place them in the clay. Each stick has a purpose:

• To know your ancestors
• For yourself, community, country and international relations; that there will be peace
• For yourself and your daily life; that everything will go well.

After the incense is placed, you say a prayer and then stand to the side, face the alter and bow.

Directions: Heading south on the 330 from Foster, you will pass gate 3 of Futenma & the 32. If you see the sign for Kakazu Park & Kyoto Monument, you have gone too far.  You will see on the right side of the road a Yoshinoya and a Docomo at a stop light. Make a right u-turn at this stop light. The "road" is small and between theYoshinoya & the Docomo. The "road" comes to a T intersection. Go left and you will see the Temple.

http://www.nenpoushinkyou.jp/eng/index.html

Hamagaa Ugan Ruins (Chatan Worship Site)

So the in-laws and I had some extra time between Christmas shopping and meeting up with Z, so we decided to check out some hidden sites I found on Okinawa Hai while the kid was sleeping in the car and they were in the PX purusing merchandise.

One of these sites was the Hamagaa Ugan Ruins.  It was a nice 5-10 minute stop right next to Kadena Gate 1.  A surprisingly peaceful spot right next to a very busy road.

The following information is from a sign posted at this prayer site:

The Hamagaa Ugan Ruins were designated as a Cultural Asset / Historic Site located within Chatan Town on March 26, 2004.

The Hamagaa Ugan is a place of worship made at the foot of a limestone rock.  It is called Shimamori Yoriage no Taki (holy name: Ishi no Oibe) in the Ryukyu-koku Yuraiki, 1713 (Historical records of the Kingdom of the Ryukyus).

A tomb of a fuedal lord is located to its east.

The worship area and a large Akou tree (Ficus superba Mig. var. Japonica Miq) are found to the south.  In the worship area, there is a small house-shaped limestone shrine with a Yosumune-style hip roof and three incense burners.

The Shimakusarasaa, a ritual held in lunar February to prevent evil from entering the community, and the Kami-Ushiimii, a ritual to pray to gods held in lunar March, were held here before the war.

The Twun no Kami and Ryuuguu Shin deities are also enshrined in the south side of the premises.

A shell mound dating from the 8th to 10th centuries is found north of the Hamagaa Ugan.  It is believed that refuse was di

scarded from the top of the hill, presenting the possibility that a worship area might have existed on the top.  Excavation of this site is considered required.  A similar ruin known as Agigitara shell mound is found in Izena Village.

Directions:

This location is at the intersection of the 58 and 23. right before Kadena Gate 1. At that intersection is a store called “Music Lab”. In the back is a parking lot, and if you park there, you can’t miss the tree. You can see the tree from 58.

If you are traveling north on 58, simply turn into the Music Lab parking lot and go to the back.

 If you are traveling south on 58, turn right at the light right past the 23. Then take your first right and drive down the road a little bit. You’ll see the back entrance of the music store and the tree on your right.

Hiking Nago Mountain

Nago Mountain is located within the Nago Castle Ruins Park. This area offers many trails, picnic/scenic view areas, camping, and more.  We were here to do some hiking.

Picture this:  2 pregnant women, a toddler, a baby, a dog and 4 other adults hiking a mountain in the middle of an 86 degrees F, 94% humidity day.  What were we thinking???  We were thinking a family friendly, beginner hike on winding, sloping trails and shade from trees that's what... well, that's what the description led us to believe anyways... WE WERE DECEIVED!

Although a fun trip with great people and an awesome workout, I hate to report that the term to describe the Nago Mountain trail should have been this:  STAIRS.  Yep, that pretty much sums it up.  Up and down stairs 98% of the time.  I haven't done that much cardio in ages!  I also happened to be one of the pregnant women helping tote around my toddler, lol.  I don't think I have ever been so happy to hit a summit in my entire life.

The view was well worth the effort, however, I honestly did prefer the view from the picnic area further down the mountain.  This area also had  a large open space for the kids to run, restrooms, and various workout/training equipment.

Between the picnic area and the trail head was also the camping grounds which looked like they'd be an excellent place to camp with a group of friends.  We may come back and try it sometime.

You'll find I am short on words for this trip.  I spent most of my time attempting to breathe, downing water, and swapping my toddler with my husband (who was also very tired by the time we got to the top).  Thus, I recommend families try some of the other available trails and go on a cooler day than we did.

Blue Seal after the hike is also a splendid treat!  Nothing like splitting an all vanilla ice cream with strawberry topping banana split with your daughter after a good workout.  ;)

Pizzakaya Mommy & Me Cooking Class

We recently attended a Mommy and Me Pizza cooking class at Pizzakaya Okinawa.  This little gem of a restaurant is located in the back right corner of American Village, just around the corner from Mihama Kids Park.

What made this class extra special is that the establishment hosted it for one of our FB mom's groups (Playdate and Adventure) absolutely free of charge.  Attendees were simply asked to bring a toy for each child attending to donate to a local Japanese orphanage.  Awesome right?

Other group members with small businesses donated party supplies, snacks and even an appearance by Sponge Bob (whom I dispise, but whatever, most of the kids enjoyed his visit).

Each of the kids got to make their own pizza.  Pre-made dough was provided that they got to smash down into a somewhat circular shape and add as much sauce, cheese and/or hotdog chunks as they wanted.

O was skeptical about touching the dough but eventually pressed it a few times, then spooned almost an entire bowl of sauce onto it, added her cheese one shred at a time until shown she could put handfuls on it, and added a few hotdogs.  She quite amused me throughout this process.  :D

While we waited for hers to cook, she ate funky flavored popcorn and stared at Sponge Bob.  She DID NOT want him to come anywhere near her!

When we got O's pizza back, the majority of her toppings had slid underneath the pizza when they sliced it due to the shear amount of sauce that was on it.  She ate the hotdogs and had mommy eat the rest, so I had to find her something else for dinner, lol.

Overall it was a good time for a good cause.  I hope they host another one of these events in the future.

Kakazu Takadai Park & Kyoto Monument

So we were headed down to Naha to visit the Tamaudun Royal Mausoleum when it started down-pouring.  So I made a split second decision to change plans and just go to the first site sign I saw instead.  It just seemed like a better idea than driving 40 minutes just to get soaked.  We could get just as wet near home, lol.  :D

We were headed South on 330 from Foster at the time.  So we turned right at the sign for Kyoto Monument and then followed two more signs to the park that housed it only a few blocks further on.

My iPhone pin lists this as the address:
901-2226 Okinawa Ginowan
4-44, Kakazu 1-Chome
Japan

We parked next to one of the many peace poles erected here on island.  A Peace Pole is a hand-crafted monument that displays the message and prayer May Peace Prevail on Earth on each of its four or six sides, usually in different languages.

We did in fact get soaked while we were here.  The rain decided to stop when we reached the park and then poured buckets on us out of nowhere as we were climbing the stairs to the observation tower.  O didn't seem to mind though, cause it allowed her to go puddle jumping, play in the river running down the observation tower stairs, and play on the playground once it lightened up again without much fuss from mommy.

There were some very nice Japanese men practicing their martial arts inside the observation tower who quickly welcomed us in out of the rain and then pointed us in the best direction to go to avoid further rain on the way back to the car once it let up. The sun came out before we got back to our car, so we decided to explore some more.  They had moved their practice outside then.

The view from the observation tower was amazing once the rain cleared up.  You could see a long way off in every direction.  All the way down to Naha and clear up to Zanpa.  The view of Futenma Air Base was particularly impressive.

 
Playgrounds:

There were two playgrounds at this park.

On the right side there was a playground for older children.   It mostly consisted of ropes and different climbing bars.  There were also several concrete slides and a teeter totter.

The other playground was for the younger kids.  A typical plastic playground with slides, smaller climbing obstacles, and hand coordination games.  There was also a swing set and a small picnic pavilion.

Kyoto Monument

This monument is located between the observation tower and the Tochka.  All descriptions were in Japanese, but you could tell people still offer up prayers and offerings here.  After a little searching on the web, I found out that it is called the Kyoto Monument because it was presented as a gift by the city of Kyoto to honor the Japanese people who lost their lives here.

History of Kakazu Takadai Park:

The following descriptions are directly from signs around the park...

The Battle at Kakazu Ridge Park:

On April 1, 1945, the US Armed Forces landed on Okinawa.  Kakazu Ridge was the sight of some of the bloodiest fighting during the battle of Okinawa.  Japanese troops staunchly defended the ridge to try to keep the US Forces from taking Shuri.  The Americans finally overcame the Japanese and forced them to Urasoe, Nishihara, Shuri, and further south.
The people of Kakazu took refure in the caves, such as in Teragama and Chidefuchagama.  Some Kakazu residents escaped to the southern part of the island and some remained in Kakazu.  Half of all Kakazu residents died during the fighting.
In this park and around Kakazu, there are several sites that serve as reminders of what took place here, including the caves the civilians used to take refuge in.  There is also Miga - a cistern used by Japanese soldiers for drinking water.  Tochka - a pillbox used to defend Kakazu Ridge, and a wall riddled with bullet holes which is an indication of just how fierce the fighting was.  The Tower of Kakazu is a memorial to the people of Kakazu who died in the fighting at Kakazu Ridge.


The wall of bullet holes:

During pre-war Kakazu, many houses and the roads were in a grid system.  This was a quiet village, surrounded by fields, but the sounds of the Japanese boots, who were stationed nearby were now echoing in the village.
An intense battle unfolded in Kakazu where the US Forces had landed.  The inhabitants and many houses that had survived for so long, sustained great damage from the battles.
Kakazu became a battlefield, the bullets and the bombs poured like showers from the Japanese and US Forces.  The wall of bullet holes tells how fierce the battle was.



Jinchi-go (Underground bunkers):

The Japanese Forces were stationed in Kakazu and built up underground bunkers around the Kakazu Ridge and the neighboring region.
The construction of the bunkers seems to have started from the summer of 1944..  Not only soldiers but also Kakazu inhabitants and many other people from neighboring regions, including elderly men and women, were pulled into the construction, which continued daily from morning to evening.
The bunkers were dug out of limestone and square shaped.  There are many impressions from pit sprops used to shore up the sidewalls to prevent cave-ins.  These underground bunkers were especially innumerable as the headquarters of the Japanese Forces were on Kakazu Ridge.







Tochka:

Tochka is a Russian military term, describing "Point" or "Hub" and an important defensive position during the battle.
The Tochka is made of concrete, has a maximum thickness of one-meter, and three adults can be inside of the two meter, square space.  For the Hiyaragawa river in the north, there are two gun ports in the Tochka and the Japanese Forces used them to fire riffles or machineguns at the attacking US Forces.
There are uncountable bullet holes in the Tochka.  The reinforcing bars are visible and it shows us evidence of an intense battle.  The opening part on the backside is only for the Japanese soldiers to go in and out.

Cape Maeda

O and I started the morning off at Cape Zanpa.  Although we had a great time exploring there, I was not ready to head back to the real world again for the day.  On the way there, I saw a sign that said Cape Maeda was about 6 km down the road from the Zanpa entrance.  So hey, why not go check it out?

We only did a quick hike around since I had brought 300 yen with me for the day and the Cape Maeda parking lot charges 100 yen per hour.  However, I was able to hike the entire trail with the kid on my back and do some rock climbing in the process in just under an hour.

Along the hiking trail, there were many viewpoints of the cliff sides cut through the thick shrubbery and even a gazebo where one could stop for a picnic and view the scenery about halfway down the trail.  I liked that the majority of the area was stroller accessible, but I found it odd that none of the actual viewpoints were.  They had flattened out areas at each one, but the actual paved path did not lead up to them.

Back at the main entrance, there was a building with food and souvenirs shops and restrooms.  We didn't go in, so I can't tell you much about it.

I plan on going back and exploring this place further in the future.  Or at least taking in the beautiful views when I have a little more time and yen on my hands.  But it was time for a well-deserved nap, so we headed back home.

Related Post:
Cape Zampa Lighthouse (Zanpa)

Sunabe BaBa Park (aka Dolphin Park)

I had heard many wonderful things about this park and was anxious to check it out with O.  We got invited to a play date there and simply could not refuse.

Although I liked the park, I felt it was more geared towards elementary and up children rather than toddlers.  It had a lot of elements that O could enjoy such as tunnels, climbing nets, and the world's slowest roller slide of decent length (It picks up a lot more speed if you bust out the plastic seats/cardboard though).  In between these toddler friendly elements, however, are non-toddler friendly elements like bridges where each boards moves on it's own.  So you'll definitely want to supervise your little tyke on the big play structure.


There was also a nice little merry-go-round that you peddle in a circle... although we ended up just pushing the horses cause it was easier.  And they have an awesome slide with cut-out rock climbing stairs and 3 varieties of slides to go down.  O also liked to play peek-a-boo in the bottom of this structure which is hollowed out with windows.

They had a nice little pavillion area for picnics as well as a huge open area for running and throwing/kicking things with friends.  We didn't really leave the playground area, so I'm not sure what the rest of the park contained.  There was a wooden ramp that looked like it may lead to a pier or something similar.

I plan on checking this park out again when O is a little older and may get more out of it.  But definitely worth checking out.

To get here:

Take a right out of Kadena Gate 1 onto 58.  Turn left at the first light.  Go all the way down until you hit the junk yard.  Make a left.  3 or 4 side streets down you'll see a sign for BaBa Park.  Turn right and park at the baseball field.  The park is just across the street.

PAC Wall (aka: The Determined Fisherman Trail)

This weekend I decided to drag my husband out of the house (lately he's been all "I'm tired, I don't wanna do anything!") and join this awesome new group I found on Meetup.com .  The Weekend Adventure Group.

We metup at the Hansen USO and joined a caravan to go way up to the Northern part of the island.  We somehow missed that the site was so far away or I never would have gotten my husband to go along.  Dont get me wrong, he likes to get out and do stuff once you get him out and this type of outing is right up his alley.  He ended up having a fantastic time.  We all did.  :D

We took 329 N to 331 to 70.  About 1 1/2 hours North of Hansen, we finally reached our destinations.

We stopped at Aha Dam to meet up with those who were going to be late or come on their own.  The dam was massive and had a great view of the rivers paths coming in.  It was a gorgeous stop and looked to be like a great place to do some family water recreation and hiking.  We may end up going back up just to tour the area a little more.

From here we headed just down the road to the PAC Wall trail.  It was something like 2 roads down on the right-hand side.  Here's a description from the Okinawan Mountaineers Club about the trail:


The description is misleading.  We had about 70 people go on this hike and many had to face some serious fears of heights, narrow-trails on uncomfortable ledges and rock-climbing with hand-ropes.  A few even had to turn back because of physical limitations.  This was a tough route and in no way a medium hike. You'll need some upper body strength and good shoes.  Also be aware that the red clay NEVER washes out of your clothes.  So wear clothing that you don't mind getting dirty.

The scenery is absolutely fantastic though and the terrain and vegetation varied.  Their are hand ropes scattered along the trail in particularly slippery, steep and/or tricky spots.  There are also several rope routes to take down the rock cliff.  We had O along with us and I'm not gonna lie, if daddy hadn't been there to take her down the cliff, we would've turned around and went back up cause momma was all worried about the safety of her harness and potentially falling out.  But daddy was confident she'd be fine and heeded my request to put her on his front side so I wouldn't freak out.

Back to ropes... The blue rope will take you all the way down but has barely any foot holds and takes you straight through the brush.  I took took the thin white rope which is frequently knotted to help with grip and takes you half-way down a nice rocky-path and then switches you to the thicker white rope to finish up.

Be aware that a few of the larger rocks are loose and may give way when you step on them.  Always make sure your footing is secure before continuing up or down the cliff.  We had one head-sized rock come loose and almost take out another members head on our way back up.  So just be mindful of your surroundings at all times.  Once you reach the bottom, you'll find the hike was well worth all your effort.  You can walk around freely on the cliff side and take in the surrounding views.

Personally, by the time we drove up there and hiked down we were starving.  I was so glad I packed a picnic lunch cause we only saw like 3 of those tiny, hand written, wooden cafe signs on the way up and like 1 gas station.  It was lovely eating our honey turkey, baguettes and cheese on the cliff side.

A couple of our companions found a place you could easily climb down into the water.  DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WHEN YOU GO.  They are this week's special edition of the safety brief.  It was easy getting in but not getting out.  We had quite the rescue mission going on and blood was shed in the form of some lovely scrapped up arms and legs.  I have no doubt they were stopping at the hospital later to make sure nothing got infected.

Quote of the day: "Blood was shed but none were lost!"


After we got back up the trail, the rest of the group headed down the road to Aha Falls.  This little family headed back home cause we were exhausted and it was rounding bedtime fast.  It was a fantastic day with some great memories and new friends.  Can't wait to join this group on more of their adventures!