As qualified sports divers we have experienced swimming with the fishes but that was a long time ago so we were delighted to come across an underwater observation tower where we could observe fish in their natural environment without having to don wet suits and breathing gear. Built to celebrate the local area becoming Japans first National Marine park in 1972 it is popular for snorkeling and scuba diving due to an impressive coral reef teeming with fish and other sea creatures.

Descending internal stairs we found ourselves seven metres below water in a large circular room with portholes at different levels all the way around. We were mesmerised by not only the variety of fish but the dramatic rock formations, corals and shellfish clinging to the rocks. People came and went but we were so captivated by the variety of fish and the constant ebb and flow of both individual fish and large shoals that we totally lost track of time. Another gem to store in the memory banks.

Walking back along the shoreline to the car park we began to appreciate why this area had been designated a marine park as the geology created a beautiful coastline that erosion by strong wind and waves had created interesting rock features in the approximately 5000-year-old sandstone

En route to the observatory we stopped off at a local war museum hoping to get an insight into Japans perspective of World War Two. However the whole museum was dedicated to a WW2 Japanese plane salvaged from the ocean with all its relevant parts and pictorial testimonials to some of Japans pilots who flew that type of plane. We came away thinking they had missed an opportunity to educate people more by not having a section that informed about Japans Pacific War at a national level.