List of Aka Island

• Age 0～Age 100
• 1～2 hours
• 10:00 / 11:00 / 13:00 / 14:00 / 15:00

The ruins of Shichi Castle are said to have once been the castle of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's military strategist Kuroda Kanbei and Kato Yoshiaki, one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake. The representative of the "Society for Preserving Shichi Castle," which is dedicated to preserving the castle every day, will guide you through this precious historic site, which was an important base for the Awaji Navy under Hideyoshi. Located in Shichi, Minami Awaji City, near the Seto Inland Sea and the Naruto Strait, Shichi Castle is said to have been built by Suga Izuminokami Michitada during the Kamakura period, and was surrendered in 1581 when Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked Awaji. After that, it was guarded by his vassal Kuroda Kanbei (Kuroda Yoshitaka), and from 1585, Kato Yoshiaki, one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake, became the lord of the castle. The Awaji Navy, which had Shichi Castle as one of its bases, achieved great success in Hideyoshi's conquests of Kyushu, Odawara, and Korea, and there is no doubt that Awaji Island and Shichi Castle were important naval bases for Hideyoshi. However, the valuable historical site where Kuroda Kanbei and Kato Yoshiaki once lived has been swallowed up by bamboo forests in recent years and is on the verge of being forgotten by local residents. At that time, the local volunteers "Shichi Castle Preservation Society" stood up, worried that the valuable remains would disappear if things continued like this. In order to let many people, not just the locals, know about the Shichi Castle ruins and to pass on the story to future generations, they have been clearing the bamboo forest every day for about five years, and have been carrying out maintenance activities such as installing entrance roads and signs. This is a tour of the Shichi Castle ruins guided by Mr. Sekiguchi, the representative of the "Shichi Castle Preservation Society" who has a stronger passion for Shichi Castle than anyone else! The Shichi Castle ruins are currently being maintained, and recently wells and stones that are thought to be old stupas from that time have been discovered one after another. Perhaps you, as a participant of the tour, will discover an important relic! ■Experience schedule (if departing at 10:00) 10:00 Meet at the parking lot (north side of Shichi Castle ruins, across the street from the main entrance of Super Marunaka *see photo below) 10:00-10:05 Use the handmade sign as a landmark to move to the remains of the Honmarudai 10:05-10:15 Guide explains the history and characteristics of Shichi Castle 10:15-10:55 After viewing the remains such as the Taiko stone, the remains of the turret, and the old well, walk around the moat to Ise Shrine and Shomyo-ji Temple 10:55-11:00 Return to the parking lot and disband

• For Rainy Days
• For Family

• Age 6～Age 100
• 2～3 hours
• 10:00 / 13:00 / 15:00

At Senkoji Temple, which boasts a history of 1100 years and has a temple on the summit of Sakiyama, a sacred mountain on Awaji Island, you can visit the main hall while enjoying the view of Sumoto City, one of the eight scenic views of Sumoto, and experience a sutra copying experience in a mysterious silence, which is an extraordinary experience. If you wish, you can also visit Iwato Shrine after the experience. Sakiyama, also known as Awaji Fuji, is said to be the first mountain created in Japan in the legend of the creation of the world by the gods Izanagi and Izanami. At Senkoji Temple, which has a temple on the summit of Sakiyama, you can experience copying sutras. First, you can climb about 200 steps to tour the grounds of Senkoji Temple, learn about the origins of Senkoji Temple, and see the place where the Awaji Island custom of "Dango Korogashi", which is rare nationwide, is performed at the temple. You will also be greeted by a lion-like boar, instead of a lion-dog, enshrined in front of the main hall. Because it is a temple on the mountaintop, you can see the central and southern part of Awaji Island, and if the weather is good, you can see the Naruto Strait and Wakayama. Return to the temple office and go to the "Daishido" to experience copying sutras. In copying sutras, you will copy the general Heart Sutra. Place the paper on top of the model Heart Sutra and copy it with a brush pen. Beginners are also welcome. By copying the characters in a solemn space, you can spend a valuable time reflecting on yourself. You can donate the copy to the temple or take it home. After the experience, you can also visit "Iwato Shrine", a popular power spot that enshrines a huge rock where Amaterasu Omikami hid herself, about 10 minutes down from the temple. (Please note that this is a full-scale mountain path) Experience schedule (for example, if the tour starts at 13:00) Meet at 13:00 *Walk around the temple grounds, including visiting the main hall (guided by the head priest Okazaki) 14:00 Experience copying sutras at the Daishido (approx. 30 minutes to 1 hour) 15:00 Scheduled end *After the tour, you can walk around the temple grounds and visit Iwato Shrine (on your own). It takes about 10 minutes to walk one way up the mountain path to Iwato Shrine.

• For Rainy Days
• In Door Activity
• For Groups