A Year on Ishigaki Island
Photo Diary: 10th Dec 2009.It ocurred to me the other day that I've been on this lovely island for just over a year now, having arrived here early December 2008. We'd left from Osaka where the cooler winter temperatures had already begun to set in and getting off the plane at Ishigaki felt like walking into a brick wall constructed of heat. I remember making the 300m walk to our new apartment from the airport and seriously wondering whether I would be able to cope with the summer; as it turns out I coped pretty well but I must admit that the humidity of June and July drove me up the wall at times.
Today's weather reminded me of my arrival. It wasn't quite as warm, peaking at around 24 degrees, but the sun was shining as it does so often here. Just before dinner I decided to roll down to the coastline, not far from Maezato beach, to take a few shots of the sunset. The low tide had revealed a moon-like surface which consisted of dead coral, remnants of a period when sea levels must have been far higher on the island.
Despite the presence of a few clouds sunset turned out to be pretty beautiful in terms of colour. Once the sun starts to set here it seems to disappear really quickly with it's movement being clearly visible as it sinks towards the horizon. I'm guessing this must be due to Ishigaki's proximity to the equator when compared to my home country, England. As I snapped away a girl sitting on a nearby rock sang traditional songs while playing the 'sanshin'.
The sanshin, which the 'shamisen' is derived from, is a three-stringed instrument whose origins are found in Okinawa. People often play this instrument outdoors around Ishigaki in the evenings, possibly because they draw inspiration from the island's natural beauty, or perhaps to avoid driving their families crazy. Either way it has a beautiful sound, and one which you're probably familiar with if you've ever watched documentaries about Japan as it frequently features in soundtracks. It's a sound which has almost become stereotypically representative of the orient.
Anyway, one year on and I'm still loving life here. I'm starting to miss my friends and family a little but I can honestly say that I've never had any real second thoughts since moving to Japan. My quality of life is just so much higher here than it was in England, and that alone is a good enough reason to stay for the time being.
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