HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island, a resort on Okinawa’s Taketomi Island that is suited for long-term stays, is offering a program that allows guests to appreciate the blessings from the sea while getting a feel for life on the island between 1 June and 31 August 2022. This program showcases blessings from the sea around Taketomi Island, which is surrounded by Sekisei Lagoon, the largest coral reef area in Japan. Learn how to build a relationship with the sea from fishermen on the island through sea trekking and truly experience the blessings from the sea by trying your hand at making tofu and salt using seawater. Enjoy your tofu and salt together with fish caught off the Yaeyama Islands for dinner. HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island offers an ocean-related experience inspired by the way people used to live on the island, which will increase guests’ interest in the ocean.
Background
Sekisei Lagoon surrounds Taketomi Island and has the largest coral reef in Japan which is about 15km from north to south and 20km from east to west and boasts a world-class variety of coral. This expansive coral reef area features an abundance of coral colonies and a wide variety of marine life. Surrounded by the transparent sea provided by the coral, people on the Island have utilized the blessings and teachings from the sea in their lives, such as by eating seafood, using the sea to make things, and basing their day-to-day schedules on the patterns of the tides. This program was developed in the hopes for guests to discover new ways of enjoying the sea through activities that have been inspired by life on the island.
Characteristic 1) Learn how to build a relationship with the sea from fishermen on the Island
Try sea trekking by walking around Taketomi Island with fishermen who were born and raised on the island while getting pieces of knowledge about the scenery and organisms that live near the sea and rocky shores. Not only will knowledge of the names of organisms be shared but life on the island and the relationships that have been built with the sea will be shared. It is an activity that stimulates curiosity and enables one to experience the charms of the sea by learning the stories related to the natural environment that cannot be understood just by taking a walk on the beach alone. Enjoy views of the transparent sea of Taketomi Island whilst gently exercising.
Characteristic 2) Come into contact with blessings from the sea through activities that use seawater
Tofu and salt will be made using methods that are unique to the island, which used to live a self-sufficient life. It was common to use seawater instead of bittern when making tofu on the island. The ingredients used in this program are soybeans of the island’s local Kumomami variety that have been grown on the cropland within the premise and spring water drawn from the seabed. Kumomami stands out for its small size and good quality. It is a rare crop that is not being cultivated by many people these days and as part of conserving the crop culture of the island, HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island continues to learn from the elders, produce and share the stories since 2017. Salt will also be made by filtering the seawater from Taketomi Island, where there is little domestic wastewater, and heating it in a pan. This activity allows guests to feel the blessings from the sea by making tofu and salt.
Characteristic 3) Fulfill Your Stomach and Mind with Blessings from the Beautiful Sea
For dinner, maasu-ni style fish caught off the Yaeyama Islands will be served. Maasu means salt in the dialect of the island, and maasu-ni is a traditional form of cuisine from Okinawa in which fish is only seasoned using salt and awamori (rice wine of Okinawa) so that the natural flavors of the ingredients can be appreciated. This is a popular form of homestyle cooking among people of all ages in Okinawa, as the light seasoning brings out the umami of the ingredients. Your tofu and salt will be used for the seasoning of the dish. Both your stomach and your mind will be fulfilled when you savor the blessings from the beautiful sea of the island.
Blessings from the Sea Stay in a glance
Period: June 1 to August 31, 2022 (excluding August 6-17)
Price: 36,300 JPY per person (includes tax and service charge, excludes accommodation fee)
Price includes: Taketomi Island Sea trekking, tofu and salt workshop, Maasu-ni dinner
Capacity: 1 group per day (maximum of 2 people per group)
Reservation: required 2 weeks in advance
About HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island
Address: Taketomi, Yaeyama, Okinawa 907-1101
Price: Starts from 112,000 JPY per night per room (includes tax and service charge, excludes meals)
Number of Rooms: 48
Check-in: 3:00 pm / Check-out: 12:00 pm
Directions: Approximately an hour by car from Naha Airport
Website: https://hoshinoya.com/taketomijima/en/
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