Page 57 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Japan

Land of the
Diving Women ANIMAL ISLANDS
These days, the tiny island of Of the dozen cat islands
Hegura, located off the coast that are found around
of Ishikawa, is best known as Japan, the most famous
a paradise for bird­watchers. is Aoshima, where cats
In the 1960s, however, it was outnumber humans
made famous by the Italian by an astound ing six
anthropologist Fosco Maraini to one. More than 100
when he published his photo­ felines prowl about this
graphic book about the ama island, curling up in
(diving women) of the island. abandoned houses, and
Amazingly, many of the same strutting about in the
women that he photographed quiet fishing village.
still work on the island during If cats aren’t for you,
summer. The last sur vivors of check out the unusual
a dying tradition, they Zao Fox Village in Miyagi
can still be seen sort­ Prefecture, or try visit­
ing seaweed and ing Okunoshima. This
diving for abalone. island was where Japan
produced poison gas
during World War II,
The famous but it’s now crowded
ama (diving with 1,000 cute and
women) of fluffy rabbits.
Hegura island
hauling a net

The Hidden Christians
When Christianity was
banned at the end of the
16th century, many believers
fled to Amakusa, a series of
islands between Kumamoto
and Nagasaki. Here, the
community lived in secrecy
for more than 300 years, dis­
guising their faith under a veil
of Buddhism. The Christian
Museum in Amakusa City
(p35) displays Buddhist stat­
ues, with crucifixes carved
into their backs, as well as
images of the Virgin Mary
that were made to look like
Kannon, the Buddhist god dess
of Mercy. Explore Amakusa by
boat to see why these mist­
shrouded islands made the
perfect hiding place (www.
seacruise.jp/cruise-english).

One of the elegant
churches found on the
islands of Amakusa

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