Cutting through the waves up north...

Once again a ferry ride and once more strong waves conveyed by wind from the north. I hoped to get some sleep during the journey, so i layed down at once after boarding at 6. Although luying flat on the matrass, i completly lost balance, only this time this was no alcohol induced waggeling, but rather the some 100m long vessel itself, lifted by the rough sea, giving me moments of levitation, then hitting the water surface again, So i opted for a rattan armchair in a windowed corridor (thanks for the hint dad), to spend my wake there. Going by ferry is not so popular anymore, as regular flights link even the remotest Okinawan islands with the rest of Japan and its not much more expensive taking the plane if you book early. Therefore one line going to the southern islands stopped passenger transport at all.

The ships of Arimura Line are part Cargo part passenger ferries (very common on all islands) and there is only one ferry a week back to Naha. There are several classes, the first, the regular one, with cabins for 6 people and a 2nd class-type with bunk beds equipped dorms, no sign of tatami dorms i read about on the internet. Although going by ferry might not be the most convenient way of travelling anymore, as it takes 14h from Ishigaki to Naha (around 450km) it's a good way to experience the distance between the islands and let you feel that you're actually in the middle of the sea, a fact the japanese seem to try to make you forget.

Despite an island country there is not much sense for the sea here (except fishing). In Honshu you'll never see anything of the sea, if you not really go for it and Tokyo is even worse in that regard (artificial Odaiba doesn't count!). On the other hand this isn't really surprising regarding the countries self chosen isolation, where it was forbidden to leave the country for several hundreds of years, neither were tall ships allowed to be build. So even today, the ocean seems to rather mark a definite border than something accessible.