Oki Islands - A Legacy of Pride

In a 150km summer cycle ride, Michael Rice explores the remote Oki Islands, deeply forested and surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the Sea of Japan. Riding in his triathlon gear, he's ready for a dip whenever Nishinoshima's beaches offer the chance. On Nakanoshima, he meets the 48th descendant of a proud family that looked after an exiled former emperor 8 centuries ago, and still cares for his tomb. And on Dogo, the largest island, he tries his hand at traditional Oki sumo wrestling.

Proud inheritor of a 1,000-year-old family tradition
Young wrestlers tussle for the island sumo title
Fishermen's festival venerates the goddess of the sea
Mysterious forests imbued with a sense of the sacred

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