- Joseph Simurdiak
THE AMAKUSA ISLANDS (SPRING JOURNEY II)
最終更新: 2020年5月26日

The Amakusa Islands don’t get many foreign visitors. Despite their beauty, they are a very quiet and remote region of Japan. Yet the views were stunning and the people were generous and welcoming; many seemed to have never interacted with a Westerner in their lives, and were eager and excited to meet me. Strangers approached to talk, children picking fruit chased me down to share what they'd collected with me, an old man in a shop stuffed my hands full of free snacks after I spent a mere two coins on a bottle of green tea.... As I hiked through the islands, it seemed that everywhere I went I was met with curiosity, openness, and warmth. I have a deep affection for such places, as I too come from a very remote and rural part of the Unites States, what many would call the middle of nowhere in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Yet in my experience, the kindest, most sincere people can often be found in these nowhere places.
Amakusa is completely off the map even for most Japanese travelers. The scenery is breathtaking, but Japan is a country with many such beautiful views. The food is excellent, but the food is also excellent throughout southern Japan, and Fukuoka is easier to reach. But I was in the Amakusa Islands looking for something particular, something of special interest to me.

