Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shimoji's Tōri-iké, dark-colored twin ponds, are connected to the sea by limestone caverns.
Nakanoshima Beach on Irabura's western shore is an excellent snorkeling site.
Shimoji's best known (and maybe only) tourist attractions are the dark green, almost
black, twin ponds of Tōri-iké (
通り池
). Usually described as “mysterious” because of their ex-
ceptionally dark-colored waters, they are saltwater, connected to the sea by underwater lime-
stone caverns. Properly trained SCUBA cave divers explore them. Because they are connec-
ted to the ocean, their water levels rise and fall with the changing tides. When viewed from
above, the ponds look like two eyes and are called “dragon eye balls” by the islanders. The
twin ponds are located at the far western end of the island, on the west side of the airport
runway. The road runs around the southern end of the airport, then up along Shimoji's west
coast, then over and around the north end of the runway, which projects out into the sea. It's
easy enough to drive there from either direction. From the parking lot it's a short walk to the
pools.
The ponds are most uniformly circular, each about 165 feet (50 meters) in diameter. A
Shimojijima legend has it that two fishermen caught a mermaid and, being friendly neigh-
bors, they decided to cut her in half and share her. Later, on the night of their catch, they
heard sobbing coming from the sea, beckoning her to come back. The mermaid replied that
she could not come back as she was cut in half. The voice from the sea told her that three big
waves would be sent to bring her home. Not long after, a tsunami came and washed the fish-
