As this blog comes to and end, this is another in a series of lasts. This time, my last visit to a small little island about a 70 minutes boat ride off the coast. Its actually pretty far, a good part of the way to Korea. Check it out on the map –

I always felt like a bit of an adventurer when I visited the island, like I should get myself a hat and leather jacket and narrowly escape a giant rolling boulder. It is a tiny little place, full of fishermen and tradition – the kind of place no-one would every really think of going. It is also a place where I have had some of my most amazing experiences in Japan. I would stay for a few nights on the Island, visiting the Middle school on the first day and the Elementary the next morning. I stayed in a traditional Japanese Ryokan and got the chance to socialise with the other teachers at the school – go out for some food and a drink and talk. Once, a Japanese Airforce General, celebrating his Birthday, insisted I sing karaoke Beatles songs with him. I felt like I was really experiencing some traditional Japanese culture – and making some good friends in the process.

After school on my first day on the island I would often grab my camera and go for a stroll around. On my wanderings I would always stop by a little shrine, have a sit, and watch the world go by. I also made it a bit of a strange tradition to check on a spider that had made its web in one of the stone ornaments – secretly worried each time that its home may have been blown away. This is a fifth and last set pictures from my stripy spider friend and a sad goodbye to the island of Mishima.

From a spider and its web parts 1-4.