Geology buffs take note. "By understanding the Oki Islands, you can understand how the Japanese archipelago was formed."
These bold words come from Kazuhiro Nobe, chief of cultural revitalization at Oki's Board of Education — who is also the man behind a current push to turn the islands in the Sea of Japan into a UNESCO Geopark in view of their fascinating biology, geology and culture.
Oh, and if understanding how Japan came into being isn't enough, here are a few other things you can expect to encounter on a visit to the cluster of islands lying some three hours off the coast of Shimane Prefecture: one-stop-access to plants found from Hokkaido to Okinawa; bullfights minus the flight to Spain; and a peek into the center of the Earth.