NHK World 2015 Journeys in Japan Daniela Shiga: Savoring Fall on Shodoshima
[ Journeys in JapanJ ] Savoring Fall on Shodoshima
Though Romanian, some of my ancestors come from Greece. So finding a place in Japan that was full of olive trees and Greek statues just like in the Hellenic country, enjoying mild weather similar to the Mediterranean, was the last thing I ever expected. I traveled by ferry in the Seto Inland Sea to reach Shodoshima, which is often called Japan's Aegean as well as the Olive Island.
Starting with a single sapling planted 100 years ago, there are now thousands of olive trees on the island. Since I visited during the harvesting season, I appreciated the olives in all their colorful stages of ripening, from yellowish green to royal purple to deep, reddish black. I plucked them from the trees and helped make olive oil at a factory. Later, I enjoyed what turned out to be a most delicious meal, a mixture of traditional seasonings combined with the magic of olives.
Another thing that surprised me was the joviality and the rather Latin spirit of the Shodoshima people. I blended into the community fairly quickly, which is not always so easy to do as a foreigner in Japan. People readily opened up to me - and friendships blossomed - during the bento lunch making event and while watching a kabuki performance. The loveliness of it all is that one can also mingle with the pilgrims that come all year round to visit the many temples and shrines scattered around the island. That is an unusual spiritual experience even for Japanese.
So how many uses can we find for the olive trees? Come with me and I will show you a whole range from oil making and dying clothes using the leaves to preparing healthy foods.
Shodoshima is the 2nd largest island in the Seto Inland Sea. Blessed with warm, mild weather, the island has nurtured a distinctive culture. Traveler Daniela Shiga enjoys local food, a kabuki performance and a magical hike at the peak of autumn. From olden times, the olive has been a symbol of peace and prosperity, as well as food with life enhancing benefits. Shodoshima is famous for its high-quality olives, which are on par with those of the Mediterranean. Olive farming was introduced to the island during the Meiji era (1868 - 1912) as part of a government program. Since then, islanders have nurtured their groves with great care. Daniela visits a 3rd-generation olive farmer and later speaks to an artist who produces handicrafts using threads dyed naturally with olive leaves. She also learns about the island's tradition of soy sauce making and joins pilgrims on part of their trek to mountain temples. Her final destination is a shrine where the locals, including school children, perform kabuki.
Places Daniela visited:
Inoue Seikoen, Olive Dyeing Atelier Konohana, Shokinshoyu, Creative Cuisine Nonoka, Shodoshima Tourism Association: 1896-1 Nishimurako, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
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