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My Favorite Colours of Shimane – Colours of the Earth, Oki Islands –

Written by Teresa Sadkowsky

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Geoparks boast some of the world ’s most magnificent geological features and scenery. Not only that, in a geopark one feels somehow more in touch with the earth. The surrounding scenery presents a chance to deeply experience the connections that exist between us and the earth.

The Oki Islands were designated as a member of the UNESCO supported Global Geoparks Network in September 2013. In these isolated is lands, lying in the Sea of Japan 40-80km off the coast of the mainland, you can really indulge in the natural surroundings. Despite being accessible by boat or sea, embarking on a journey to islands brings a strong feeling of being a world apart, a sentiment enhanced by endless sea, mountainous land and distinct island ways of life. The island g roup consists of the three DōzenIslands ( Nishinoshima, Nakanoshima and Chiburijima) which form a caldera landscape, and the large circular Dōgo Island which lies several kilometers to the northeast. These islands werecreated by tectoniclate movements and volcanic activity that occurred 10 – 6 million years ago. Subsequent erosion from the sea and wind has carved incredible coastal scenery such as dramatic sea cliffs exposing cross-sections of former volcanoes, and all manner of uniquely shaped rocks. Aside from various types of volcanic rocks, the volcanic activity which created the islands also exposed the metamorphic ro ck gneiss, which was formed on the continent 250 million years ago, as well as g reen-tinged sedimentary rocks which record the format ion of the Sea of Japan. This geolog ical diversity has given birth to beautiful and diverse landscapes everywhere the eye can see, and decorated it with many different colours. Coastlines composed of rocks of dark grey, pure white, vibrant red, or pale g reen and various other colours emphasise the colours of the sea and surrounding vegetation, and also illustrate the story of the creat ion of the land.

Oki One such impressive and visually stunning location is the dramatically red streaked cliff, Sekiheki, (literally ‘red cliff’) in Chiburijima. The cows that g raze quietly in the salty breeze around the cliff-side live luxuriously enjoying this fantastic vista. Sekiheki Cliff is the eroded cross-section of a volcano that erupted six million years ago. The layers of bright red rock became so due to oxidizat ion of the iron content within splashes of basalticlava. You can see a white intrusive rock running vertically up the cliff which did not turn red due to differences in the composition and formation of the rock.

Sekiheki (Red Cliff) in Chiburi Island

Sekiheki (Red Cliff) in Chiburi Island

Other beautiful rocks such as this that are coloured with reds, various g reys and amber can be admired along the Akiya Coast in Nakanoshima and Kuniga Coast in
Nishinoshima. On the other hand, the northwest coast of Dōgo Island is almost entirely composed of a white rock. This white rock is formed by two different types of igneous rock called rhyolite and trachyte. The white colour accentuates the aqua blue to emerald g reen sea. These coasts are also home to all manner of creatures carv ed from the ro cks by coastal erosion, such as elephants, sphinx, and candle sticks. What better way to experience them than sea kayaking along the coast?

Lastly, in various places around the islands you can find a different kind of pale green tinged rock aptly named ‘green tuff’. This is not an igneous rock, but rather a sedimentary rock that formed from layers of sand and dirt at the bottom of rivers and lakes on the continent before the Sea of Japan was formed, and long before the islands themselves were created. This rock is used as a building material in Oki and can be seen in garden walls and pavements around the islands.
The beautiful scenery of the Oki Islands is decorated by a mult itude of different colours, all of which tell a story of the earth. Why not take a journey to Oki to discover them?

Candle Island