Walking Goto Islands: Day 7
Travel diaries: March 8th, Shin-Kamigoto is a heaven for road walkers.
My plan for the day was to walk in the southern part of Nakadori Island of Shin-Kamigoto. I planned a course that would take around five hours. While I had walked part of the route before, there were also sections that I had yet to explore. It was a sunny day, and I was blessed with magnificent scenery. It was one of the best days of my trip so far.
I took the first bus from Arikawa town around 7 a.m. and got off right before the detour to Matenora Church. I did not plan to visit the church (as it was not a particularly special one) but wanted to enjoy the morning hours and light with a coastal walk along the Michidoi Bay.
Despite the sun, it was a crispy morning, but I was fortunately prepared for it (light gloves, scarf, merino wool undershirt, etc). The walk down to Nakanora Catholic Church, arguably one of the most beautiful churches on all five Goto Islands due to its location, took a little less than two hours.
I stopped for around 15 minutes for breakfast (the sandwich I prepared in the morning), sitting right across from a house that looked out of Miyazaki animes - a traditional Japanese house, right by the water with a private dock where a fishing boat was parked. After a brief exchange of morning pleasantries with the owner of the house, who was on her way to the garbage disposal site, I wondered how it would feel to be waking in a house like that every morning and they, after possibly all those years, can still feel in awe of the scenery surrounding their very own home.
I am one of those people who feel the happiest during the early morning hours (to the chagrin of some of my friends when we travel together). The beautiful scenery added to my natural tendency for joyful mornings, and I was in a euphoric state. I think any travel is worth it if it gives you even only one ecstatic moment, and I am glad, after years of practice, I got better at finding those subtle experiences that would reward me with many of those moments (to the point that I sometimes feel a little too calculating during my travels).
I arrived at Nakanora Church around the same time with a mid-size tour bus. This was the first time I encountered a group of visitors while visiting the churches on the Goto Islands. I assumed they were Korean (a country with a high rate of Christians, above 25%, according to Wikipedia). The group was led by a nun, and I suppose they were on a tour focused on Hidden Christian sites in the Nagasaki region.
Nakanora Church is a white wooden structure located by an inlet. It was built in 1925, and a bell tower was added to the structure in 1966. Like many other churches in the region, it is a modest structure that owes its beauty mainly to its location. On a calm morning, the church is reflected on the water, earning it the nickname "water mirror church." While it was a windy morning with choppy waters - thus no mirror effect, I was fortunate enough to experience the scenery during my first visit to the islands, and it is sure a sight to remember.
My next main stop was Kiri Church. But first, I made a brief stop at Wakamatsu Oura Church, which reminded me of Miyabara Church, which I visited on Fukue Island on the third day of the trip. It is a very modest building that used to be a residence, and its location is not as striking as the others—there is no nearby cove. However, the Miyabara Church and Wakamatsu Oura Church evoked a sense of peacefulness that I had not felt when visiting the other churches in the region, the same feeling that I experienced when visiting impossibly cozy Swiss villages: no structure stands out on its own, instead blend in perfectly with the rural surroundings, and they collectively create an alluring, undeniably beautiful and inviting aura.
Shortly after Wakamatsu Oura Church, I got off the main road and took the detour to Kirifurusatogo for a one-hour walk. On my way to Kiri Church, I passed fishing villages, secluded houses overlooking beautiful coves, and mesmerizing coastal scenery. It was a walk that I did before, and I would happily do it for a third time.
When you approach from the side of the Yamakami Shrine, which was once used by Hidden Christians for worship to disguise their true religion, Kiri Church greets you with its commanding presence.
In "In Search of Hidden Christians of Japan," John Dougill vividly reported his visit to the Kiri Church by recalling a dialogue with a nun he encountered during his visit. The nun who gave them a tour in the absence of the parish priest modestly apologized for the lackluster interiors, which could not keep up with the church's iconic location. Honestly, I did not think the church's bland interior design stood out compared to others, but the exterior structure felt too un-stylishly imposing for the location and, more importantly, for a country where modesty is also reflected in the architectural choices. While Dozaki Church on Fukue Island and Wakamatsu Church of Nakadori were in harmony with the surroundings, Kiri Church chose to stand out visually (but not pleasantly), to dominate the otherwise heavenly scenery.
The final part of the walk took me to Narao, following a forest and then a coastal route. After about an hour, I was at the bus stop waiting for the bus that would take me to Arikawa, following part of the road that I had walked earlier.
I had an early dinner at the always lovely Kamome Tei and called it a night around 9 p.m.
Thank you for being here and reading my travel diary. I will be back tomorrow. And here is a link to the page where all Goto travel diaries are listed.