東京から五島
So, that’s how it is Um, it’s a Saturday morning in May I boarded the Narita Express on my way to Narita Airport It’s the Narita Express, right? In the past, there were many stops along the way I had the impression that the Skyliner was overwhelmingly faster, Recently, I took the Narita Express, which only goes to Chiba, Tokyo, Shinagawa, Musashi-Kosugi, Yokohama, and Ofuna The airport direct line has been revised, and from where I live, it will be from Narita Airport in March 2024 There were various changes, including the Shinjuku-Hachioji route The maximum for the route between Tokyo and Narita Airport is… Well, it has been reorganized into a high-speed system that is quite convenient, especially between Tokyo The fact that the well is quite smooth is due to this writer express Yes, it’s the green train It’s the Sobu Line and others It’s in a form where we proceed while looking like this, and it’s Narita Airport I’m at Terminal 2 of the airport I’m thinking of going to the Goto Islands now, and since I’m taking an LCC, I assumed it would be at Terminal 3 I’ve just arrived at Terminal 3, which is the second terminal Believe it or not, Peach is… You may already know, but this is the first terminal It’s an ANA line, so that’s the case I have to take a bus to move to this terminal and head to the first terminal urgently In times like this, everyone, you know, I think they get really anxious When you realize you’ve gone to the wrong terminal, you know, It unexpectedly takes a lot of time, so I was a bit anxious, but the bus, you know, was driving very safely at a leisurely speed It was quite a nerve-wracking experience While saying that, you know, Now, regarding the trip to Fukuoka, This is the peach here It’s a relatively new Airbus A321neo By the way, what I mean by ‘you shouldn’t smoke’ is… That Peach is an airline based at Kansai Airport, so basically, they don’t do full refunds So, with that said, We have arrived at Fukuoka Airport, that’s what I meant Yes, and I’m going to return to the topic of airplanes again, but you know, When you ride on Australian airlines like Jetstar, the seats being sticky is pretty much the default, But the seats are really It’s amazing that it’s not sticky I wonder how Japanese airlines manage to avoid this stickiness I found it very strange So, here we are I’ve just arrived at Hakata Station I was thinking about having a quick lunch at the Hankyu building Let’s go to the seafood bowl shop in the basement I thought it was a bit expensive It’s located on the rooftop of that restaurant Isn’t it the higher-end restaurant that does this? Let’s head over there for a bit The Google Maps rating was good, so I was wondering how it would be That’s why I’m giving it a try Well, no, it’s actually delicious It’s delicious, but I felt a bit unsure about the quantity for 2700 yen; it seemed a little small So, at that point, Well, I just had lunch, so I’m coming from Hakata This time, I’m heading towards Nagasaki I mentioned that I would go by train This time, I came via Fukuoka, but I took Jetstar through Nagasaki You can go too So, you know If you’re going to the Goto Islands, it’s more like I think the cheapest way is to take a ferry from Nagasaki to Goto via Nagasaki If you go from Fukuoka, you’ll have to include the train ride from Fukuoka to Nagasaki So it feels like it’s going to cost a little extra money And this is outside Hakata Station, but just right here, It’s May, but surprisingly it’s quite cool, isn’t it? Yes, that’s the case From here, we will take the express train to Takeo Onsen first Is it the Midori express train? This is Sasebo Station It’s not heading to Nagasaki, and it’s not the Earth Station along the way It feels like transferring to a Kagome train on the Shinkansen Looking at the train that’s here to pick us up Well, from the perspective of someone living in the Kanto region… This railway in Kyushu is really unique; it’s full of trains I’ve never seen before Is that a really luxurious train in the back? The one that goes to Yufuin Is the train that just came in the Limited Express Midori? This is Sasebo Station That really has a Showa retro vibe It feels like the backrest of the seat is quite low, doesn’t it? Well, I think this is a kind of best that you can’t easily encounter in Tokyo As I look outside, I have this kind of feeling I thought it wasn’t much different from Tokyo as I looked out the car window As I continued to gaze, gradually, I entered the Saga area This is an area with the Yoshinogari ruins It feels like this is where they have come through or passed by Right? I’m talking about that place called Takeo Onsen I came here a long time ago, and since there’s an onsen, I’m thinking of just going for a day trip to the hot springs What you see coming to pick us up is the Kagome Shinkansen, and this is heading to Nagasaki Well, a little bit I wonder if that student is waiting for the train? Or are they waiting for their parents to pick them up? It seems like a souvenir shop over there There are winter activities, but you know It’s quite close to Arita, so they have pottery and such I think it’s a fairly active area And apparently, the Saga beef bento here is somewhat famous I think I’ll give it a try and see how it is It costs around 2000, so it felt like it was quite a good price However, I felt that the portion might be a bit small For the price, you know? So, as I was saying, From here, it’s a walk to Yufuin Onsen’s Yumoto, right? An area with a hot spring, or rather, a hot spring town area When you say hot spring town, it makes me want to take a little walk I think it’s a traditional style where drinking establishments are spread out in the vicinity, and it feels like they are highlighting places that have that kind of course Yes, if you go through this gate, you’ll find the hot springs There are various types of hot springs available for private rental and more This one here is the most affordable I decided to go into that hot spring I think it was around 500 yen Yes, this place too It’s a very retro place It’s really in the old-fashioned style After all, it was a very nice climate in May Well, that’s how it feels Something like that Well, I’m heading towards Nagasaki See you, passing through that snack street Yes, it’s now 5 o’clock The bell is ringing, though Yes, this is a bit interesting There are also shops with writing on them While looking around, we bought our Shinkansen tickets at the station and are heading towards Nagasaki That new Shinkansen in Nishikyushu, you know You can’t ride it unless you come here I think it’s quite rare, but basically that’s how it is This part from here to Fukuoka is For some reason, it has been left under construction for a long time I don’t know why, though Well, basically, From here, it’s about Nagasaki, It feels like we’re going there So, half of the home station is not operational right now Yes, that’s right This is the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, and it’s quite something It’s relatively new since it has been in operation for a long time, but it might be a bit worn out It feels like it’s gradually coming out As for the seats, It’s really in the shape of a Shinkansen seat Well, I’m not very familiar with it Is it something like the 700 series S or NS? The ride quality is It’s very much like the Shinkansen, and the ride quality is great There are stops along the way, like Ureshino It’s places like Isahaya While proposing such places, it’s just a short distance to Nagasaki It takes about 30 minutes or so About 30 minutes, I guess We’re already in a position to arrive It feels like I was just looking outside in amazement, and before I knew it, we were already in Nagasaki That’s right, so here we go This is the terminal station at Nagasaki We have arrived Well, if I had come by that airplane, I don’t think I would have had the chance to enjoy places like Nagasaki Station or the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, The Shinkansen station is very modern, or rather, it has this kind of feel I thought it had a really emotional vibe to it It wasn’t really like that That’s the kind of feeling it has Well, it’s Nagasaki, As you walk through the town, you start to see a bit of the old-fashioned atmosphere that comes out from the soil What you see in front of you is that castella shop When you think of Nagasaki, you might also think of Bunmeido and their castella, right? That’s the kind of shop it is It’s already the time when they are closed Well, we also have a castella shop, and I was able to book a business hotel for 5000 yen, so it’s quite cheap Today, I’m in Nagasaki, you know When you open this door, you can see the main street outside I really want to ventilate a bit, don’t you think? Business hotels are just like that, aren’t they? Well, I often open the window because I still want some ventilation So, since there’s still some time, I went outside for a bit So, that’s it What you see in front of you is Dejima Yes, it’s Dejima, and I was surprised by that The water is really beautiful I was a bit surprised by how beautiful this water is It’s an amazing place Yes, that’s how it feels While being amazed by the clarity of the water, I was wondering what this Dejima is like This is about that Dejima That was a kind of reproduction or rather a restoration Well, in terms of being a facility somewhat like a museum, yes, it’s a bit like that Believe it or not, they are open until 9 PM, so everyone, you know, It’s a bit late, but if you arrive in Nagasaki, please do come We’re open at night as well, so you can come in Is it around 400 yen or so for restaurants? Well, it closes around 5 PM, you know This museum itself is open until 9 PM, so that’s a bit of good news It seems that you can enjoy it even at a late hour So, you see, Well, this was essentially like a branch of the East India Company, Since it’s from the Netherlands, Rather, it’s about how those people from the healing Indian company were doing their business It feels like you can catch a glimpse of that quite a bit So, you see, Well, looking at this, I thought of myself I feel like the East India Company is somewhat similar to Japanese trading companies This is at the branch office In that rotation, you see Well, this president, or rather the summoning agency, is Why it changes every other year in Japan It feels somewhat similar to how trading company representatives change every three years Moreover, what was being done here was a type of trade called multi-trade Ultimately, I will bring the renewal fee back to Europe and make a profit from it Simply put, with money in hand, It’s not about going somewhere to buy spices and bringing them back; rather, it’s more about… With that leverage, using that small amount of money, For example, take something to Europe or somewhere and exchange it for something of high value, then exchange what you got for something else, and finally exchange that for the renewal fee That’s how it works For example, you can only buy a value of 100 with an update fee of 100 Even with the initial capital, by repeatedly exchanging it for that public offering, it feels like you could acquire a quantity of spices worth about 250, even though the update fee was 100 Yes, so I find multi-trading very interesting, and you know, when it hits 8 o’clock Nagasaki had absolutely no shops open Yes, I was looking for the shops that were open I was wandering around a lot In the end, I entered a hamburger shop that I didn’t really understand, which was open until 9 o’clock I ate something like a hamburger that cost around 2500 yen Well, that’s how I welcomed the next day Well, it’s me, I guess I thought I was done with Nagasaki Basically, I was thinking of heading towards the Goto Islands There is a ferry terminal very close by, so I’m thinking of taking a boat there By the way, this boat is called a jet foil It’s a high-speed boat equipped with a jet engine And then there’s the regular ferry It takes about an hour and a half, so it’s fast With the slow ferry, it takes around three hours Since I’m not in a hurry, I should have taken the ferry for 3760 I don’t know what got into me I ended up taking the high-speed boat and paid about 9000 one way Later, I regretted why I did such a thing and felt this way I wonder why everyone is like that For those who have the time, please take the boat I think that for those who want to enjoy themselves, it would definitely be good to choose the ferry, or rather, it’s basically the best option If you have never been on a jet foil, then… It’s worth experiencing various things at least once I think it’s interesting in its own way, that’s the feeling I have By the way, the jet foil has already come out The ferry will also leave in about 5 minutes, so the schedule doesn’t change much It feels like the arrival time will be about an hour and a half late There was a noodle shop that felt like a station soba, so I tried a breakfast set there That’s how it feels This is basically a designated seat on the jet foil boarding Unlike a ferry, you can’t walk around inside the ship in various ways It already has seat belts attached Basically, it feels somewhat like being on an airplane Well, it has a jet engine, you know Overall, it has an atmosphere similar to that of an airplane Yes, that’s how it feels Well, we slowly left the port, you know And then, after a while, That engine, engine, engine, engine, engine, and the jet engine igniting, when it goes ‘vroom’ at about 80 kilometers per hour, now there’s that thing called the Fukue Echo Is this the large island in the southern part of the Goto Islands? I arrived here and it feels like tears of joy When I first arrived here, you know… I was thinking about what I want to do, and I considered various options I heard that the Goto Islands are famous for fishing, so I was thinking about renting some fishing gear I was considering trying to fish with rented equipment, and I was looking for a fishing shop Um, this is the Echo of this clothing right away It’s nearby, so let’s stop by there for a bit I was wondering how far we can move with the rental I was thinking of checking it out a bit By the way, Tsubaki is also quite famous later on I wonder why the Goto Islands are like that So, what’s up? It’s not really the season when camellias bloom a lot, is it? There it was And it’s a fishing tackle shop called Morita So by doing the rental fishing gear here, in the end, you know, I was thinking about how it would be to go mackerel fishing in the afternoon, that’s what it is, right? And if you walk a little, you know, There is also this castle that is above clothing Well, if this castle is the case, That place has now become a museum, and I wonder if you can enter for around 500 yen? I was thinking about going in for a bit Since it was such a nice day, I thought I might want to enjoy being outside a bit more I almost went in for a moment, but then I decided to go to the rental bike shop instead I decided to ride around on a bike, mental change I rent this out for about 3000 a day This is a store that operates together with a personal fitness gym I rented this for 3000, just to let you know Actually, this island… There are even shops where you can rent that light car for 3000 yen To be honest, I think 3000 yen for a bicycle is quite expensive Well, riding a bicycle has its own charm, I suppose I mean, there is something good about it, you could say Since it feels refreshing, it’s nice to explore the city a bit Well, if that’s the case for such a purpose, So I feel that a bicycle might be a good option as well And this is the vice president, but Right now, I’m inside this, but what’s amazing is that there’s a high school within this castle So, the high school feels like a castle It seems that way Speaking of the Goto Islands in the middle, There are quite a few stories about hidden Christians and Christianity, And quite a bit about Buddhism as well It seems that the influence has been quite significant since the time of the envoys to Tang, so it has been around for a long time So it seems like Buddhism has been present on the island for quite a while, along with Christianity The various religious histories are quite interesting Yes, that’s right This here Well, it’s upside down, but this seems to be the entrance to the high school That’s how it is, isn’t it? So this is inside the castle, huh? Right? That’s not really the case, is it? You probably don’t have many options for different high schools, do you? Well, I guess there are often cases where if you’re going to high school, it’s here And this is the samurai residence street, you see Well, the fact that there is a castle means there are also the mansions of its retainers, right? That’s the local experience center over there, isn’t it? Yes, that’s the child from the triathlon competition There are also posters for things like advertisements and the movie ‘Solitary Gourmet’ that was out before After all, it’s more like a feeling of exploring the city rather than just walking With the mobility of a bicycle, you can feel the atmosphere of the town, so in that sense, it’s definitely better I personally think that this girl’s bicycle is quite the best, or something like that Yes, this is Buke-yashiki Street The stone walls and gates are still here, but the houses inside are not It really felt like a normal home Just a little I was thinking of densely populating the island a bit now Then, it was a bit like this, I found a fairly solid shrine, so I had the opportunity to pay my respects there That’s right, I’m driving along the coastline, and there are offshore wind turbines The excess buoyancy refers to those wind turbines used in wind power generation, which are standing on the sea, so to speak The Goto Islands have quite a bit of ups and downs, so to speak I was told that it’s quite tough on a bicycle, To be honest, I felt like it was pretty tough, Well, um, Well, when you’re running, how should I put it, you can see windmills like this, right here I guess it’s about what suits you, or maybe just that volcano So, um, this Goto Red is about that volcano That has that shape It’s a place that looks like Omuroyama I think you can see a nice view from where I’m climbing right now Yes, you can clearly see the ocean over there in the distance Yes, this is, an isolated island called the Goto Islands, but it’s surrounded by other islands You can also see many smaller islands When you look through binoculars, These islands also have those buildings That place over there is like that It seems like people live there, doesn’t it? That’s right, isn’t it? I wonder why they live in a place like that I really think so I guess they’ve been living there for a long time So, you know, Yes, I mean, by bicycle again, Um, I’m going to go down the mountain a bit, It’s the same as going down the mountain If you go straight from here, it seems like something you like There is something called a geopark, and it’s relatively… It’s that new facility that was recently built Well, it’s about this island, you know It’s about the geographical and geological formation of it It’s like the formation of the Japanese archipelago When the continent and Japan were still connected At times, this was the peak of a mountain, the peak of a volcano Basically, what happened was that sea level rise occurred, It felt like only the mountain parts were left as islands, By the way, it has a power source that allows for telework There was a facility, or rather a somewhat café-like building, and although it wasn’t really operating as a café, that’s the situation And, you know, If you walk from the geopark towards the sea, It seems like there are also places that feel a bit like an observation deck This is the observation deck And from here on, Um? It looks like Oomuroyama, but… That’s basically the one that’s just about the demons I got a bit tired from the ups and downs on the bike I was thinking that I want to return this bicycle, and I just came here a little while ago I’m gradually heading back towards Fukuroi Kou This is the last part, about the reconciliation I’m going down to the street Yes, this bicycle here It’s mostly been called a mountain cross bike It has incredibly thick tires, comparable to a mountain bike I think this is a mountain bike The good thing about that bike without suspension is… Well, the ascent is quite tough, but you can just casually do this Or going down is pretty efficient for running, so I think it’s quite feasible So, that’s that It’s really comfortable, you know I’ve been able to play as a down hero for a long time And here, you know, it’s famous for its saba sushi, or something like that It seems that they are quite well represented in department stores as well I had some mackerel sushi, which is about 1800 yen per piece It’s been under quite strict broadcasting regulations It’s really a product that seems to be sold in a place quite far away, and because of that, the price is often higher Well, the concept of saba sushi is going to change It’s often written on Google Maps, and if that’s the level of expectation, then let’s get started right away I decided to buy this too, and well, it’s delicious Delicious, delicious, delicious, delicious! Delicious! Delicious! It’s really delicious Well, but I wonder if it’s really that amazing Well, the saba sushi was decent and the atmosphere was nice Yeah, it feels pretty average So, with all that said, About Fukui City That store we’re going to There aren’t many again It’s already past noon, so there’s no time left And here, you can have this set meal for 1000 yen at a café Ah, I found it The menu only had curry and set meals, you know Yes, it feels like the cat can tumble around the house And I was thinking that I wanted to check into that inn Furthermore, I am currently riding a bicycle The accommodation we filmed this time is… Well, probably within this reconciliation… It’s the cheapest guest house Is it a place called Uto-juku? Yes, it’s 3,900 yen with my friend here I think the dam is the cheapest after all It’s for one night around here Well, it’s at a guest house It’s a regular bunk bed, but it’s not the type that shakes It’s the type of bunk bed that doesn’t shake Japanese guesthouses are like this, they have this type that doesn’t shake That’s quite a lot, isn’t it? Also, I thought it was really beautiful I think it’s probably because I was in Australia, but it had a really clean and fresh feeling So not at all With this 3900 yen In the end, I really do mean it I ended up staying there the whole time during that kid’s visit So, it became 4 o’clock, and I thought I’d go to the fishing tackle shop for a bit I borrowed that fishing gear
土曜の朝、都会の喧騒がまだ眠気を引きずっている中、私は成田エクスプレスに乗り込んだ。
この電車、かつては停車駅がやたら多く、スカイライナーに大差をつけられていた。だが2024年春のダイヤ改正で大きく変わった。今では千葉、東京、品川、横浜…と、空港へ一直線の都市間特急として蘇ったのだ。東京から成田がグッと近くなった。それは、旅の始まりとしてはこの上ない滑り出しだった。
さて、今回の行き先は…五島列島。長崎の西、対馬暖流に浮かぶこの群島に、私は以前から憧れを抱いていた。決して「観光のメインストリーム」ではないが、何かこう、魂の隅をくすぐる気配があった。
LCC利用者あるあるの悲劇は、次の瞬間に訪れた。
「第三ターミナルへ…って、あれ、Peachって…第一なの！？」
そう、関空ベースのPeachはANA系。つまり第一ターミナル発なのだ。勝手にLCC＝第3と思い込んでいた私は、慌ててターミナル間の連絡バスへ。安全運転のため妙にのんびりとした車窓に、心だけが空回りしていた。
それでもどうにか間に合い、A321neoの新機材に乗り込む。機内に足を踏み入れた瞬間、「あれ、座席が…ベタベタしてない！」と驚く。最近乗ったオーストラリア国内のLCC、ジェットスターでは座席が湿気を帯びていたものだ。日本の航空会社のクオリティに、改めて舌を巻く。
福岡空港から、陸路で長崎へ。
福岡空港に降り立ち、昼飯を求めて博多駅の阪急ビルへ。地下の海鮮丼に惹かれるも「高い割に量が少ない」の判断で却下。屋上のレストラン街に上がってみると、Googleマップ高評価の和食店を発見。
「うん、美味い。…でも、2700円でこの量かあ…」
福岡で食に妥協したことを、五島列島の刺身が後でしっかり取り返してくれるのは、もう少し先の話である。
続いて向かうは長崎。福岡からの移動手段には迷いがあった。というのも、長崎経由でフェリーに乗るルートが、一番リーズナブルなのだ。だが今回は「せっかくだから」と特急で武雄温泉経由を選択。
特急「みどり」で、昭和の空気を嗅ぎながら
博多駅のホームに入ってきたのは、特急「みどり」。佐世保行きで、車内はどこか昭和レトロな香りが漂う。座席の背もたれがやたら低い。今どきのシートに慣れた身体には、逆に新鮮だった。
車窓から流れる風景は、やがて佐賀の平野部へ。吉野ヶ里遺跡の近くを通過するとき、「ここが弥生時代の日本の中心だったかもしれないのか…」なんて妄想を膨らませる。
武雄温泉に到着すると、新幹線「かもめ」への乗り換え。ここで駅弁として佐賀牛弁当を入手。見た目は派手だが、「ちょっと量が少ないかな」というのが正直な感想だ。だが、温泉とともに味わえば、それもまた「旅の風味」というものだろう。
レトロ温泉街と、温泉のある新幹線駅
武雄温泉の駅から歩いて数分。そこには古びた門があり、その先に小さな温泉街が続いている。街の奥にひっそりと佇む日帰り湯に500円で入湯。レトロそのもので、タイル張りの床に湯気が立ち込める。
ふと見上げると、5時の鐘が鳴る。旅の途中で耳にする鐘の音は、どうしてこんなに心に響くのだろう。
武雄温泉から西九州新幹線へ、そして長崎へ
日帰り温泉でさっぱりしたところで、駅前の売店で佐賀牛弁当を購入。価格は2,000円と少々お高めだけど、旅先の食は一期一会。ベンチに腰かけ、しばし口福に浸る。
駅の構内には、まだ見ぬ新幹線「かもめ」の姿が。そう、西九州新幹線。九州の西側に伸びるこのルートは、未完成ゆえに博多までは直通していない。でも、その「途中まで感」が、むしろ旅情を引き立てている気がする。
新型の車両に乗り込み、嬉野温泉駅、諫早駅といった見慣れぬ地名に胸をときめかせているうちに、わずか30分ほどで長崎に到着してしまった。
「早っ…もう着いたのか。」
旅の移動手段が目的に変わる。それを実感した時間だった。
長崎の街を歩く。文明開化の気配を追って
駅舎を出ると、そこはどこか懐かしくて、どこか異国めいていた。モダンに整備された駅前と、少し歩けば現れるレトロな町並み。時間が折り重なった街、それが長崎だ。
目の前には、あの有名な「出島」がある。埋め立てで地続きになったとはいえ、かつて海に浮かんだ交易の舞台。館内に入ると、そこは江戸時代にタイムスリップしたような世界だった。
出島は、オランダ東インド会社の日本拠点として機能していた。展示によれば、彼らのビジネスモデルは「マルチトレード」。単に香辛料を買い付けるだけでなく、資源や物資を次々と交換し、最終的にヨーロッパで利ざやを得るという、いわば“貿易版スゴロク”だ。
「少ない元手をどこまで増やせるか。」
まるで、現代のスタートアップと通じるところがある。しかも、支店長（カピタン）は毎年交代。日本の商社のローテーション文化とそっくりで、ちょっと笑ってしまった。
旅人の夜は、ハンバーグと反省で締めくくられる
夜の長崎は早く閉まる。8時を過ぎると、飲食店の明かりがどんどん落ちていく。私はGoogleマップ片手にさまよい、唯一開いていたハンバーグ屋へ。2500円のディナーに、少し旅の疲れを癒してもらう。
「まあ…明日からが本番だ。」
そう心に呟いて、安宿のビジネスホテルにチェックイン。窓を開け放ち、長崎の夜風を一口吸い込むと、なんとも言えぬ開放感があった。
ついに、五島列島へ。フェリー or ジェットフォイル問題
翌朝。長崎港から福江島へ渡る手段には二つある。ゆっくり3時間のフェリーか、時速80kmのジェットフォイルで1時間半。
「のんびりフェリーで行こう」と思っていたはずなのに、なぜか私は9000円のジェットフォイルの切符を手にしていた。
（なんで…？？）
と頭を抱えつつ、着席。全席指定でシートベルト完備。船というより、もはや“海を走る飛行機”だ。エンジン点火と共に、ズズズッと加速し、海上を滑るように走っていく。
気がつけば、福江港に着いていた。
福江島に立つ。釣り、城、サイクリングの島
上陸後、まず向かったのは釣具屋「森田釣具店」。旅人にも親切な店で、レンタルの釣りセットを相談すると「午後にアジが釣れるよ」とのこと。早速、午後の釣りを予約。
その足で訪れたのが「福江城跡」。城郭内に高校があり、まるで高校が城を守っているような光景に、驚きとちょっとした笑いがこみ上げる。この島では、歴史と日常が自然に重なっている。
その後はレンタサイクルで街へ。1日3000円でクロスバイクを借りるが、実は軽自動車も同じ値段で借りられることを後で知って、ちょっと後悔。
でも、走り出すと、風と海の香りが全部吹き飛ばしてくれた。
武家屋敷通りと、宗教が混ざり合う島の記憶
五島には「武家屋敷通り」という石垣の残る歴史的エリアがある。古い門が連なるその道には、時折ふるさと体験館のような施設もあり、観光地化されすぎていないのが逆に良い。
この島には、キリスト教と仏教が同居している。隠れキリシタンのイメージが強いが、実は仏教寺院も多く、遣唐使の歴史も根付いている。信仰の重なりが、島の空気をより奥深くしているのだろう。
そして、道端で出会った神社にふと手を合わせて、静かに頭を下げる。
宗教とは何かを語るのではなく、ただ静かに、受け取る場所。箕岳（みだけ）を登る。火山がつくった島のかたち
自転車で福江の街を抜け、目指したのは**箕岳（みだけ）**という火山の山頂。その名の通り、かつては火を吹いた山――現在は静かに海を見下ろしている。
「ここが…山の“てっぺん”だったのか。」
五島列島の成り立ちを調べると、面白い事実にぶつかる。この島々は、もともと大陸と地続きだった時代の“山の一部”だったのだ。つまり、海に沈まず残った「山頂」だけが、今の五島列島というわけだ。
そう思うと、山頂から見渡す海の景色が少し違って見えてくる。眼下に広がるのは、かつての“陸地”の名残。そして点在する小さな島々には、今も人が暮らしている。
「…よくあんな場所に住めるなあ。」
どこか尊敬の念を抱きながら、私は深呼吸を一つ。海風が、肺の奥まで入り込んできた。
ジオパークで、地球の鼓動を聞く
箕岳のふもとにある五島ジオパークビジターセンターにも立ち寄った。ここは地球科学の視点から、五島列島を読み解くミニ博物館だ。
展示を見て気づかされるのは、「ここは偶然できた島ではない」ということ。噴火と地殻変動、そして海面上昇。何千年、何万年という時間が、この小さな島を形づくってきた。
中には電源とWi-Fiが使えるテレワークコーナーもあり、「火山の麓でリモートワーク」という不思議な非日常を感じさせてくれる。
センターの裏手に回ると、そこには展望台。海へと続く水平線を眺めていると、まるで地球そのものが呼吸しているような感覚に包まれる。
島寿司という名の“お告げ”──サバ寿司との出会い
山を下り、坂を滑るように街へ戻る途中、ふと目に入ったのが「鯖寿司」の看板だった。一本1800円と、島寿司にしてはなかなかの値段。でも、Googleマップには「人生観が変わるレベル」とまで書かれている。
「そこまで言われたら…試すしかない。」
そう思って買ったサバ寿司は、銀紙に包まれ、宝物のように重みがあった。宿で開けてみると、その断面は芸術的なグラデーション。食べてみると――
「……美味しい。美味しいけど…人生観が変わる、か？」
たしかに旨い。肉厚のサバ、酢のキレ、絶妙な炊き加減の酢飯。でも“ぶっ飛ぶ”というよりは、“静かに沁みる”美味しさ。どこかこの島そのものを表しているようだった。
ゲストハウス「うとう塾」に泊まる。最安、そして最善の選択
宿は、福江の中でも最安クラスと評判のゲストハウス うとう塾。1泊3900円。二段ベッド式のドミトリーだが、驚くほど清潔だった。
オーストラリアのゲストハウスに慣れていた私は、この日本的な清潔感に思わず声が漏れた。
「いや、これで3900円はむしろありがたい。」
ベッドは揺れないタイプのしっかりとした造り。共用スペースも落ち着いた雰囲気で、他の旅人と自然と会話が始まる。島というロケーションが、知らない者同士の距離を縮めてくれるのかもしれない。
そして夕暮れ。釣り竿を手に、五島の海へ
時刻は16時。再び森田釣具店を訪れ、午後釣りの準備。アジ狙いで、軽装の道具を借りた。旅の途中でふと生まれた「やってみたい」に素直になると、不思議と時間が優しくなる。
港に向かう途中、ふと見上げた空が赤く染まっていた。
「海に沈む夕陽が、明日も晴れを約束してくれるような気がした。」
そんな勝手な思い込みを抱きつつ、私はゆっくりと港へと歩いていった
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