Great place. A little scary on a windy day but it's the best time to see the waves crashing against the coral. In winter January to March it's a great spot for whale watching. In summer you can see sea turtles.

Very kind towards foreigners. God bless the people of okinerabu. I lost count of how many times the locals went out of their way to either help me or point me in the right direction.

I've found my peace here

(Translated by Google) The place where Saigo Takamori lived on a remote island for one and a half years is on display. The person at the memorial museum kindly explained it to me and it was easy to understand. Takamori Saigo was active in the movement to overthrow the Shogunate at the end of the Edo period, but many people only know that he opposed the postponement of the Shogunate movement, such as Toshimichi Okubo, and returned to Kagoshima, where he started the Seinan War and died an unfortunate death. Unless you know about the time when he was exiled to Okinoerabu Island, you won't be able to understand his idea of ​​a godly lover. (Original) 西郷隆盛が遠島となり1年半過ごした場所が展示されている。記念館の方が親切に説明してくれてわかりやすい。西郷隆盛というと幕末の倒幕運動で活躍するが征韓論では大久保利通などの延期派と対立して鹿児島に帰り、西南戦争を起こし不遇の死を遂げたことぐらいしか知らない人も多いが、沖永良部島に流刑になっていた頃を知らないと彼の敬天愛人の考えを理解できないだろう。

(Translated by Google) You can learn about the history and folk culture of Okinoerabu. I was able to learn a lot about the history of the lily industry, the history of religion, the relationship with the Ryukyu Dynasty, and food. I visited it last after I had finished looking at it, so I was able to understand that each dot had become a line. What I found interesting is that the methods of mourning for the dead are different in the Amami Islands. When I cycled around the island, I saw many graveyards near the sea. I speculated that this may be due to the culture of bone washing, in which bones were washed in the sea, so cemeteries were gathered relatively close to the sea. Generally speaking, if there are strong waves near the sea, graves and bones will be washed away, so I would normally avoid going there. The culture of tattoos was also introduced from the Ryukyu Dynasty. (Original) 沖永良部の歴史、民俗文化について学べます。ユリ産業の歴史、宗教の歴史、琉球王朝との関連、食べ物もよく学ぶことができました。一通り見終わってから最後に訪れたので、それぞれが点だったのが線になって理解することができました。興味深いなと思ったのは、奄美群島で死者の弔い方法が異なるという点です。島をバイクで一周した際、海の近くに墓地が多く見られました。これは洗骨という文化で海で骨を洗うから、比較的海の近くに墓地が集まったのかなと考察しました。普通に考えて、海の近くで波が強いと、墓や骨が流されるので普通は避けると思います。あと入れ墨の文化も琉球王朝から伝わっていました。