Okinawa, Japan｜Mitake Kudakashima Remote Retreat: A Window of Faith Looking Out to the Sacred Island

Reaching a high point on Sefa Utaki, the view opens up suddenly. Beyond the lush greenery, the blue ocean comes into view. An explanatory sign reads, "Kutakajima Remote Observation Site." This was an important sacred site during the Ryukyu Kingdom era, where people worshipped Kudakajima from afar. In Ryukyu belief, the king symbolizes the sun, and Kudakajima is considered the direction where the sun rises, making it a sacred place. Standing amidst this forested landscape, overlooking the ocean, one feels a deep sense of reverence: between heaven and earth, the island and the sun intertwine as a path of faith. It was through this distant gaze that ancient priestesses and their subjects conveyed their prayers to the gods beyond. Travelers today, though only briefly, can still sense the depth of this history. The azure sky and ocean, like a still painting, remind us of the rituals and piety once held here. The Kudakashima Remote Scenic Area is not only a scenic spot, but also a sacred window into the interplay between man and nature, and between gods and humans, in Ryukyu culture.