Currently, there is a photo contest underway on Shodoshima Island. Click here for information on how to enter:

参加方法はこちら (Japanese)

There are 24 spots on the island that have been designated as places to be photographed.
While Shodoshima is packed with power spots, I’m going introduce just a few of them in today’s article!

The 1000-Year-Old Olive Tree

In the western part of Shodoshima there is a 1000-year-old olive tree.

From a high plateau by the coast, it overlooks the vast Seto Inland Sea. The tree originally came from far, far away. It was brought to Shodoshima from Andalucía in southern Spain on Olive Day (March 15th) in 2011, a trip of some 10,000 kilometers. It has lived for more than 1000 years, but is comfortably situated in this pleasant environment and stills bear fruit here on Shodoshima.

There are countless olive trees on Shodoshima, but this particular one has a tremendously powerful aura. The mighty tree seems to have continuously sucked energy up directly from the earth over its 1000-year-long lifetime, and is now releasing it. Truly a power spot!

The company that manages the area and the tree, Shodoshima Healthy Land Co. Ltd, is found just around the corner.

At the shop ‘Olive no Mori no Eki’, which shares the building with Healthy Land, you can buy various products made with high quality olives. While you can of course buy regular olive oil, beauty oil made from olives is also on offer.

The quality of the beauty oil is especially good. My assistant tried some and told me she was surprised how healthy her skin felt the next day. In the future, the company also plans on selling products made with olives from the 1000-year-old tree.

I can’t wait!

1000-Year-Old Olive Tree
Address: Ko 2473 Tonosho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture
Visiting hours: 9:00 – 17:00
Tel: 0879-62-7111
Photo-contest hashtag: #15olive1000

Olive no Mori no Eki

Address: Ko 272-1 Tonosho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture
Open: 9:00 – 18:00
Closed: No scheduled holidays
Tel: 0879-62-8989
Parking: 3 spaces available

http://shl-olive.co.jp/

The next power spot on the list is a huge natural phenomenon!

Kasaneiwa – Power From Above

The next power spot is a place where large boulders balance on top of each other. The name of the balancing boulders is Kasaneiwa. I parked at Kose Ishizuchi Shrine and headed for the mountaintop where the boulders are found.

The steps are many and the climb is steep…The steps are many and the climb is steep…

The view from halfway up is pretty amazing, but there is still a long way to go. The stairs do not continue all the way to the top; rocky ground takes over midway through the climb. However, the long, tiring ascent results in a spectacular sight.

The boulders are much larger than I anticipated. One might wonder how on earth they managed to get stacked on top of each other, and whether it is truly a natural phenomenon or simply man-made! Just by being there, it seems almost as if celestial power might fill you at any moment. Please come and experience this for yourselves!

Kasaneiwa

Address: Kose, Tonosho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture
Parking: Available
Photo-contest hashtag: #07kasaneiwa

This is the next power spot:

Togata Point – Seaside Power Spot

Formally an egg-laying site for sea turtles, the beautiful and serene Togata Point is at the westernmost tip of Shodoshima.

Togata Elementary School lies just by the seaside. The school has closed, but the school building and surroundings remain.

The beautiful waters of Setouchi are just outside the school grounds. There is no one left at Togata Elementary School, but it is not hard to imagine how the kids must have played on the beach and swum in the sea during recess and after classes. Just looking at such a delighting schoolyard fills me with strength. Every year in May, koinobori (carp streamers) fill the area and create magnificent scenery together with the sea and the school.
Please come and check it out for yourself, and take some photos as well!

Togata Point
Address: Ko 3417 Tonosho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture
Photo-contest hashtag: #18togatapoint

Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Daisuke Chiba