Welcome to Shiraishi, "island of mists and trances," one of 250 inhabited islands in Japan's fabled Seto Inland Sea. With a population of just over 700, the island people have long followed a tradition of fishing and living off the land.

Though Shiraishi is known best to foreigners for its clear waters and clean beaches, the Japanese people know it best for the Shiraishi Bon Dance. The "Shiraishi O-dori" is a 700-year old dance that is still performed during the Festival of the Dead every August, to comfort the souls of the Heike warriors who died in the famous sea battle against the Genji in 1185. Such tradition attests to the spirit of the islanders and their determination to continue a lifestyle deeply rooted in ancient rituals and tradition. The islanders are the most extraordinary people, the closest to nature and the closest to God, that I have ever met.

Shiraishi Island is a place where one can enjoy the beach for a day and hike in the mountains the next. Wander off on your own and you're likely to come upon one or more of the 88 Buddhist statues along the 400-year old pilgrimage route that circumnavigates the island. Wander a little further into the interior of the island and you may come across a gathering of locals and witness ancient rituals still performed by the islanders to their Gods.

To call Shiraishi a paradise would be wrong, as "paradise" conjures up images of some type of Eden, set among tropical foliage with exotic birds perched on branches offering luscious fruits. On shiraishi that kind of beauty can be found, but rather, it lies in the hearts of the people.

Shiraishi is an island and people that remains undiscovered.

There is no nightlife on Shiraishi other than San-chan's restaurant/Bar and the Moooo! Bar (open only in the summer). There is no town center. There are no traffic lights. There is no video store, convenience store or McDonald's. There is one road, 7 km long, that circles the island. Get the idea? Bring books or liquor.

There is no bank on the island, but there is a cash machine at the post office (open Mon-Fri) where you can get cash from your VISA/MasterCard. There is one grocery store (4 short aisles) that stocks Japanese food and is usually out of milk on Sundays. The liquor store, across from the post office, sells beer, wine and some hard liquor as well as Japanese sake.

Warning: Most Japanese people, especially the International Villa reservations people, will tell you there is no food available on Shiraishi, so you must bring your own. What they mean is that there is no Western food available on the island. As long as you are willing to eat like a local, there is plenty of food here in the local supermarket. They also sell milk, bread, eggs, cheese, butter, etc. There is one restaurant, San-chan's, that is open year-round and a couple of other choices in the summer time. There is no need to bring your own food if: you'd rather eat out, you don't mind shopping at the local supermarket, and you don't mind occasionally going without milk on Sundays.

$1.00 at the Dollar Bookstore

Spring Buds and Autumn Leaves: A Shiraishi Haibun by John Dougill This haibun (an illustrated essay sprinkled with haiku poems) tells of the seasonal cycle on Shiraishi Island. Pictures and poems combine to form a fascinating portrait of the very special spirit of place.

Moooo! Bar, Shiraishi Island, Japan