Journeys in photographs and words.

A little of each town’s story

Motobu, Okinawa

Fukugi windbreaks

From: Island cooking in a traditional Okinawan house

The farmhouse veranda with red blossoms, and a cat stepping into the garden
The farmhouse veranda with red blossoms, and a cat stepping into the garden

In Okinawa, fukugi trees have long been planted around homes to shield them from typhoon winds. The fukugi-lined lanes of Bise, in Motobu, are said to date back more than 250 years, to the Ryukyu Kingdom era, when they were planted as windbreaks for the houses.

Sources: mlit.go.jp

This moment in the journey

A house ringed by fukugi trees

I sat down on the veranda and ate breakfast looking out at the garden. This is a traditional Okinawan house, surrounded by fukugi trees that shield it from typhoons.

In Okinawa, people have long planted fukugi around their homes to protect them from strong winds. A cat ambled across the garden, thick with fruit trees and herbs. Here, you really do live together with nature.

Watch this scene on YouTube0:58

Read this scene in the full journey

Eating breakfast on the veranda, the green garden beyond
Eating breakfast on the veranda, the green garden beyond
Eating a rice ball at a small table on the veranda
Eating a rice ball at a small table on the veranda
The side of the house seen from the garden of fruit trees and herbs
The side of the house seen from the garden of fruit trees and herbs