Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Minshuku Kumejima, one of the nicest minshuku on Kume Island, is right in town, one block from the
ferry terminal.
In all, we'll drive about 30-40 miles (50-60 kilometers), and although that doesn't sound
like much it will take the better part of a day. In fact, one could easily break up the sightseeing
on Kume into two or more days depending on how many things you might wish to see and
how much time you might like to spend on the beach as part of an excursion around the is-
land.
The first “sight” you'll notice, right in front of the Marine Terminal, is “Male Rock,” a
stone phallus rising on top of tiny Mt Garasa Islet. Since it is an island in its own right, we'll
describe this place a little further below when we visit the offshore satellite islands surround-
ing Kumejima. As Male Rock is more easily seen from the western side of Garasayama Island,
you'll have to walk a block or two to get a proper (or is it an “improper” ?) view. In doing so,
you'll pass right by the Minshuku Kumejima (
民宿久米島
). It's a brightly painted three-story
blue-and-white building that you can't miss.
From Kanegusuku Port it's 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) north through Gushikawa, passing
by the village office, to the Uezu Residence, also called Uezu Old House (
上江州家
; Uezu-ke,
pronounced Uwae-shūka). This section of town is named Uezu.
Otoko-iwa (
男岩
) and Onna-iwa (
女岩
)
Perhaps these two places explain why Kumejima is considered such a romanic island. Kume has two
rather unusual natural ferility symbols: Otoko-iwa (“Male Rock”) and Onna-iwa (“Female Rock”). The
male ferility symbol is an upright phallus on Garasayama Islet, just ofshore at Kanegusuku Port. On-
naiwa, the female symbol, is more commonly known as Mīfugā” (
ミーフガー
). That word translates
as “Vagina Rock” as this is the shape of its opening. The formaion is said to have powers to help wo-
men conceive. You may see women praying there. Mīfugā is on Kume's northern shore, visible from
Gushikawa Castle. Every spring thousands of white lilies bloom around the rock.
