 Most viewed - Suo-Oshima island 周防大島 |
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.380 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.271 views
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Bow from Battleship Mutsu.255 views
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Model of the Mutsu.253 views
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Large pieces of the Battleship Mutsu were also displayed outside.253 views
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Photos of when Battleship Mutsu was salvaged during 1970-1978. About 75% of the ship was recovered.252 views
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Propeller on the right.248 views
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Sketch of what the Battleship Mutsu looked like on the sea bottom.243 views
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Binoculars from Battleship Mutsu.242 views
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Replica of bunk beds on the Battleship Mutsu.230 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.228 views
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Gun from the Battleship Mutsu.226 views
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Suo-Oshima island, Yamaguchi manhole216 views
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Porthole from Battleship Mutsu.214 views
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JR Obatake Station platform.212 views
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Personal articles of the crew are included.211 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 8.207 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 1999.205 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.202 views
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202 views
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Swords and pistols from Battleship Mutsu.193 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.189 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.186 views
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The Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii.184 views
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Monument for Battleship Mutsu.178 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.173 views
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Bus schedule. Very few runs.172 views
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Go right for the front entrance.171 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.170 views
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About Battleship Mutsu169 views
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Old directory of all Japanese and Japanese-Americans living in Hawai'i. Never knew about this book.168 views
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Suo-Oshima Town Hall was one of the stops of the nori-ai taxi.167 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.167 views
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Mutsu Memorial Museum first opened in 1972 in a previous location. The museum reopened here in 1994.167 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166 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 site165 views
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The museum is a spacious Japanese-style house.164 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.164 views
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The scrapbooks and other delicate materials should be digitized though, something which they haven't done yet.164 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.161 views
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Area where Battleship Mutsu sank.161 views
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Bus stop closest to the Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii.158 views
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View from Oshima Ohashi Bridge.154 views
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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.154 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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The museum is full of panel exhibits, mementos, artifacts, old books, and scrapbooks. It had a lot more than I had expected. 152 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.152 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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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.152 views
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Area where Battleship Mutsu sank.152 views
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Cross the bridge over the river.151 views
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From the bus stop, cross this bridge over a river.149 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. 149 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.148 views
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The sign points the way.147 views
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Museum up ahead.147 views
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Bus schedule. Buses don't run that often.147 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).144 views
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Oshima Ohashi Bridge143 views
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I took the bus back to Obatake Station in Yanai. It was about 25 miles.143 views
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Bus fares.142 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.141 views
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I saw a few small whirlpools.141 views
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Intersection at the end of Ohashi Bridge.139 views
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Kuka Folk History Museum 139 views
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Didn't have time to see the Nagisa Aquarium adjacent to the Mutsu Memorial Museum.139 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.137 views
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Then turn left as the sign says.137 views
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We couldn't enter the plane, probably because it was off-season.136 views
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Bus terminal in central Oshima near Ohashi Bridge. Kind of run-down, former souvenir shop on the 2nd floor.134 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.133 views
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Nagisa Park is also a camping ground.132 views
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Crossing Oshima Ohashi Bridge.131 views
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Bus stop127 views
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Kuka Folk History Museum is part of the learning village.127 views
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Approaching Towa126 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.124 views
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And a few white-sand beaches.124 views
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Oshima Ohashi Bridge. Across the bridge is Yanai.123 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.123 views
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Nagisa Park had this retired sea plane from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.122 views
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Nishi Ihota bus stop121 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120 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.118 views
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Got off here at Suo-Hachiman stop in Kuka.117 views
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Centipede116 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.115 views
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Towa Sogo Center, a community center in Towa.115 views
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The museum has exhibits of local fishing and farming.114 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113 views
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Snow coats.113 views
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There are a few small islands near Suo-Oshima, uninhabited.108 views
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Old stone bath, Important Cultural Property.108 views
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About the Hachiman Continuing Education Village in Japanese. Web site here107 views
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Jizo statues106 views
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Suo-Oshima is famous for mikan tangerines. You see them often on the island.105 views
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Fishing nets.103 views
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Rural bus stop102 views
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Kansha (thank you)102 views
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Here are two of the Kannon statues near the stone bath.102 views
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Small beach at Mutsu Park.101 views
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Old stone bath100 views
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Back on the bus to ride further east on the northern coast.99 views
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The stone bath is the oldest in western Japan, built in the 12th century.98 views
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The island has many small fishing ports and towns.98 views
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Once in a while, we saw a white-sand beach.97 views
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Pillows97 views
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Water to extend your life.96 views
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Sazanseto Towa tourist souvenir shop.96 views
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Next to Mutsu Park was Nagisa Park.95 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.94 views
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Around this area are 33 Kannon statues. 94 views
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Jizo statues on Suo-Oshima island, Yamaguchi.94 views
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Japan-America goodwill baseball games.89 views
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Certificate of Appreciation from 1927. 87 views
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