And by the way, most of the time you won't have to fight off crowds. High season on Shiraishi seems to be relatively brief, coinciding with Japan's short summer school vacation -- 40 days, starting about July 20. Probably the peak comes during the Shiraishi Odori festival, a colorful nighttime folk dance event that attracts large numbers of visitors Aug. 14-16. Those are the days of obon, Japan's annual pilgrimage of urbanites to the rural homes of their ancestors.
Otherwise, you can sidle up to the Moooo! Bar, a rustic establishment operated during the summer months by Ohioan Amy Chavez, of all people. Sipping one of her $4.75 margaritas, you can appreciate the lovely contrasting pattern formed by blue sea water, white sea foam, ocher shore boulders and the dark green trees marching up Shiraishi's steep slopes. If not yet tipsy, you can rent a kayak from one of several laid-back proprietors along the beach and paddle out to a tiny islet with a Shinto shrine. For about $70 per person, a local sailboat operator will take you on a two-hour trip to natural hot springs on nearby Sensui Island.
The monument on Japan's Shiraishi Island is said to hold Buddha's ashes.
(Japan National Tourist Organization)
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Well-marked hiking trails lead you all the way around the island in a couple of hours -- longer if you stop for a picnic. Among the sights you can see as you wander from hilltop to hilltop (maximum elevation about 500 feet) is the golden spire of the island's Buddhist monument. The tall, needle-like structure is actually a Thai import, the first of its kind in Japan. They say it houses some of Buddha's ashes and a statue more than 1,200 years old. Don't forget to say ohayo gozai masu ("good morning") or konichiwa ("good afternoon") to the folks you meet along the many paths. As in America, country ways are more friendly and polite than those of the big city.
One of my favorite things to do on Shiraishi was to take the kids grocery shopping at the family-owned store in the village. Not only was the atmosphere inside a refreshing break from the head-spinning pace of commerce in Tokyo (where we were spending the summer), but the way there was lined with gorgeous gardens. Shiraishi's population is mostly elderly, a consequence of the country's generally declining birth rate and rapid post-war rural-urban migration. And in Japan, old folks love to spend their time tending trees and flowers, trimming and training them until they assume just the proper shape and size.
On Shiraishi, many gardeners practice the art of bonsai, the uniquely Japanese way of growing miniature potted versions of pines and other large trees. I don't know exactly how they do it, but the effect is enchanting -- like something from a J.R.R. Tolkien story come to life.
After six days, departure time arrived -- too soon. But Shiraishi held one last surprise for us. On a final run to the store, my children and I heard a sound like a crowd of people all screaming in unison, coming from somewhere in the distance. Following the noise, we arrived at the local recreation hall, where we found 100 or so high school students from the surrounding area practicing the ancient martial art of kendo, or "the way of the sword."
A stylized form of samurai sword fighting, kendo is practiced with bamboo poles by combatants in scary face masks and elaborate black body armor. But no one gets hurt. All the shouting was required as part of the various moves the young people were learning.
We could have watched all day. But we didn't. Alas, the modern world was calling us back from Shiraishi.
Charles Lane covers the Supreme Court for The Post. He traveled to Japan as a 2003-2004 Japan Society Media Fellow.
Details: Shiraishi Island
GETTING THERE: To reach Shiraishi by train from Tokyo, take any regularly scheduled train to Okayama city, then transfer to the Sanyo Honsen Line for the 45-minute ride to the town of Kasaoka. The Sanyo Kisen ferry runs local (40 minutes, $4.75 one way) and express (20 minutes, $8.60) trips from Kasaoka to the island.
RESERVATIONS: Reservations for the International Villa on Shiraishi Island, or for any of the other five villas throughout rural Okayama prefecture, can be made through the Okayama International Villa Group, 011-81-86-256-2535, www.harenet.ne.jp/villa. Cost is $35 per person per night, or $25 with a two-year, $4.75 villa membership.
INFORMATION: For more information about Shiraishi Island, consult Moooo! Bar owner/resident Amy Chavez's excellent Web site, JapanLite, amychavez.addr.com. The site includes an e-mail address for making boat and restaurant reservations on Shiraishi.
-- Charles Lane
