KUDAKA ISLAND, Okinawa Pref. -- When the gods arrived by boat at the Okinawan islands during the fourth and ninth months of the Chinese calendar, they first set foot on the shores of Ishiki Beach, say residents of Kudaka Island.
Far from the shore, beyond the far-reaching shallows, white waves break in what looks like a ring around the island. Beyond lies the deep blue expanse of the sea, and farther out is where the sun rises.
Hana Nishime, 75, points out to the sea. "Nira-hara," she says. In other parts of Okinawa, they call it "Nirai-kanai," the faraway utopia where gods live and all things begin.