|
|
|
Hello
everyone!! I am SIMA and glad to see you. I will take you short
tour of TAKETOMI Island .
I have been working for
TAKETOMI
water buffalo wagon company for about 5 years. There is my
friend , her name is TOMI. Please see below. She is very popular
for girls and boys.
|
|
|
Tomi is very popular for kids
|
|
|
I
can take a shower before I leave a
tour. My Boss take care of me very well. It is extremely HOT!!.
So, I need to drink a lot of water too.
It takes about 45 minutes to go
around TAKETOMI Island . My boss talks about history of TAKETOMI
Island and sing a traditional song of "ASATOYA YUNNTA" with
playing "SANSHIN" (Traditional three strings guitar). It is a
very good !!
|
|
|
Let's go!!
|
|
Taketomi
is located about 4 mails from ISHIGAKI Island . It takes about
10 minutes by the speed boat. There are some beautiful white
sand beach and you can see the traditional OKINAWA red tile roof
houses with "Seesa(a lion)" on the roof. People believe that
Seesa is an amulet and keep their happiness. Taketomi's houses
has been registered as the important historical and traditional
houses by the Japanese government.
The
population is about 270 . About 30% of people are over 70 years
old and about 30 scholars there. Taketomi is one of the
longevity area in Japan. I think if you were here, you would be
able to know why there are many grate age people. It's like a
heaven!!
|
|
Sima
is a good driver
I drive the wagon by myself. It means that My
boss doesn't need to remember the route of tour. However, My
boss whip my hip to go fast. It is very painful.
|
|
|
Seesa(a
Lion)is an amulet
|
Seesa is an amulet
How
are you Mr. Seesa? Why are you always open a big mouth ?
Because Male Seesa is always open a mouth and
Female is closed. It means that there are few female in
Taketomi.
|
|
A garbage wagon
|
An old well
|
Taketomi Post office
|
|
A rain water tank
|
There
are many wells in Taketomi. Long time ago, the people of
Taketomi use those wells for drinking water. You can see each
house has a water tank to reserve drinking water. Please refer
the left photo . There is a pipe to the tank.
|
|
Now a days, there is a city water pipe
between ISHIGAKI Island and Taketomi Island.
|
|
Taketomi
is a flower Island . There are many kind of flowers anytime of
year. However, we got a big TAIHOON NO.9 this year. It was
extremely big and took away any flowers and the red tiles as
well.
|
To repair the Traditional
Okinawa red tile roof
|
| |
|
|
|
The
people proud their traditional Okinawa houses even though It is
inconvenient to live and difficult to maintain the red tile roof
. Every year, some house are tiled again to keep a site of
traditional Okinawa houses in Taketomi.
|
|
|
|
These
tiles have been collected from an old
house. They are going to be installed again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
There
are two goats who are my friend. They need a parasol to protect
Taketomi's sun shine which is very strong. When you walk around
Taketomi . Please put some sun protection lotion.
|
| |
| |
|
Minnsa
textile
Taketomi has produced "Minnsa
textile" for long time. It is very famous textile(cloth)in
Japan. Minnsa textile is made from the Bashiyo leaves which
looks like banana leaves. There is The Taketomi Mingeikan(The
Minnsa textile museum) where you can see many kind of Minnsa
textile at Taketomi.
She is weaving Minnsa textile below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do
you recognize the roads are white. Taketomi people sprinkle some
coral white sand to keep the roads white.
|
|
Mingeikan(Museum)
|
The circle road
|
Kihouinn(Museum)
|
|
A heart of Taketomi
|
Ishiganto is an amulet
|
Mina well
|
|
|
There are many
banana
trees in Taketomi. Bananas are very small and taste is different
from Philippine one. It is more fruity taste.
Please do not pick a green banana. It is not
ready to eat. It takes one or two week to be ready to eat.
|
|
There are many
papaya
trees. Papaya grows quickly and can get many papaya. You can see
some flowers and papayas between the end of leaves .However, you
can not eat them. They are not ready to eat. The color should be
turned to yellow. Then you can eat them. Sorry.
|
|
|
Yaeyam palm tree
|
Have
you ever seen the YASHIGANI (Coconut crab)? Please refer the
below picture. The YASHIGANI is a family of a hermit crab. He
doesn't have a shell. He is a very big and the size for this
YASHIGANI is about 12 inches. His claws are very big and strong.
Please be careful.
YASHIGANI is a nocturnal animal. So, you can
not see YASHIGANI during a day time. Of course they normally
live in jangle. If you are lucky, you can see them at mid night
on the road. Please do not catch and eat him. Now a days , A
number of YASHIGANI is decrease . We have to keep nature of
TAKETOMI Island and hope that many YASHIGANI can grow. Thank
you..
|
"YASHIGANI"(He is going to a
Zoo)
|
It is fine!!
|
I
am very tired. Because I have driven the wagon for four times
today. It is very tiring. However, I am glad to have many
visitors in TAKETOMI Island.
If you have a chance to visit TAKETOMI Island
. Please call "Sima".
See you soon,
Thank you.
|
Back
to TAKETOMI Island |
