{"id":75479,"date":"2021-01-19T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=75479"},"modified":"2021-02-24T17:49:51","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T08:49:51","slug":"japanese-pirates-history-shimanami-kaido","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/japanese-pirates-history-shimanami-kaido\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirates and Samurai Shrines: Seeking Japanese History Along the Shimanami Kaido"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Between beautiful views and fresh island produce, the Shimanami Kaido is an excellent cycling trip <\/a>full of Japanese history. From Samurai Shrines to Japanese pirates<\/strong>, the Setouchi islands it traverses offer up a wealth of legends and battlegrounds. While I cycled the 70km route, experiencing farm stays<\/strong>, lemon picking,<\/strong> and more<\/a>, it was the history of these small islands that became an unexpected highlight of my explorations. Whether it was the ancient tradition of salt-making <\/strong>or the dedicated patrols of the surrounding waters, there was a quiet history waiting to be discovered <\/strong>in each destination. As well as meeting the communities along my route, I was able to imagine their predecessors and the traditions and skills they had passed on to the generations based on the islands today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murakami Kaizoku Museum: Setouchi Islands\u2019 History of Pirates <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Greeted by large replica wooden boats, I am intrigued by the idea of Japanese pirates and had heard little of them, but the impressive museum was the perfect place to learn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often called the Samurai of the Sea, Japan\u2019s pirates are a legendary topic that comes alive here on the islands. Sometimes referred to as suigun<\/em> (navy) and sometimes kaizoku<\/em> (pirates), the controlling clans were a unique mixture, with the power of one and the reputation of another. While in English the term \u2018pirate\u2019 often conjures images of lawless vagabonds, the dedicated Murakami Kaizoku Museum<\/strong> on Oshima Island aims to change this perception for the Japanese counterparts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n