Ise Bay, Japan

Takashi did some research then provided us with some excellent help planning our next few days as we slowly trekked central Japan making our way back to Kansai Airport in Osaka.  The main point of his suggestions were to spend time on the little island of Himakajima, just off the peninsular point of Minamichita, due south of Nagoya, between Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay.  We loved the idea and checked the trains and hotels to make it happen.

Jada and Michiko became friends during
this visit and they bade each other a sad,

yet heartfelt, さようなら (sayonara) 

when Takashi & Michiko left 

us at the train station.

Having to change trains at least a couple times and not wanting to spend too many hours just traveling, Jada and I decided to take two days to reach Himakajima from the Matsunaga home.  The hotel we selected was in Okuda, a small town about two thirds of the way to Himakajima. 

All the best photos were taken by Jada.

While changing trains at the Nagoya Station,
Jada saw this eye-catching fabric art.

Okuda town map outside the Okuda Station.

We walked to our hotel,
a minor bother as we
toted our luggage, yet
we got to see much of the small town.

Sunset on the beach by the hotel.

Lots of cute, little Japanese cars, everywhere!

Dinner was a ramen meal at a small
cafe a few blocks from the hotel on
the main street.  I made the mistake 
of assuming we could eat in the hotel,
but only folks with advance dinner
reservations were fed by the hotel.
We immediately made reservations
for breakfast, then enjoyed a walk
through town to find this little gem. 

The only employee was the older gent in the kitchen.
He called a welcome to us, ushered previous guests out the door,
came out to seat us, take drink orders,
seated a group of young men and took their orders,
served our drinks, took our meal order, served our meal,
served the young men their orders,
then continued to refill drinks and be sure all was good
with us and the young men.  He seemed a bit gruff when 
we arrived, but he proved to be very good-natured.
We loved our meal in this quaint little shop.

Our evening dinner spot.

Back in our room, we relaxed watching a Japanese baseball game.

As in every Japanese hotel we visited,
yukatas were provided.  We used them for visits to
the hotel hot baths and to the vending machines in the hallway.

The local train from Okuda to Utsumi Station
was older and less fancy than the modern trains
we used from Osaka and around Nagoya.

As it was midweek and most folks
use the trains to get to work,
we had this car entirely to ourselves.

This dolphin sculpture greeted us
outside Utsumi Station.
This was the end of the line.
Our next step was a bus to take
us to the Morozaki Ferry Port.

A traditional Asian toilet was in
the Utsumi Station.  Since it requires
a deep squat to use it cleanly,
I decided I could wait to find
a western toilet.

At the Utsumi Station.

At the Utsumi Station.

At the Utsumi Station.

While waiting for the ferry to Himakajima,
Jada found this shrine on the hill overlooking the port.

Pilot boats in port

Our ferry to Himakajima

The ferry made a brief stop at 
Shinojima, an island due south of
Himakajima.

We passed this small, high island as
we approached Shinojima &
again enroute to Himakajima.

Next stop .  .  .  Himakajima!