I am but a watchman on this new island. Tumultuous ocean and winds of Oki, from now on, please be more gentle.

This poem is said to have been written by Emperor Go-Toba upon being exiled to this island. What exactly did he feel at that moment? Let’s take a moment to ponder this.

Let’s think, first, about why Emperor Go-Toba was exiled to this island in the first place. It all started with the chaos of the Jōkyū Era (1219-1222). A decisive battle between the nobility which included Emperor Go-Toba and the Kamakura Bakufu led to victory for the Kamakura Bakufu, and the era of nobility was left behind as Japan entered into the age of the samurai. Emperor Go-Toba was ousted from the capital as a result and exiled to this remote island.

Some believe he landed in “Sakigyo Harbor,” while others believe he arrived at “Tsutsumi Harbor”, where we are currently standing. According to legend, the ship Emperor Go-Toba had taken to Ama sank in a storm. Three fireballs flew up from the wreckage, landing on a mountain and setting it to flames. This is believed to be the origin of the name of “Mt. Takuhi” (Burning Fire Mountain). It is said that Emperor Go-Toba followed the light of these flames and found himself safely to shore. The symbol of the Oki Steamships is said to be based on this legend.

However, Mt. Takuhi cannot be seen from Sakigyo Harbor, so the legends don’t match up with reality. You can see Mt. Takuhi from Tsutsumi harbor though, which is why some believe that he reached land here at this port instead. Either way, Emperor Go-Toba, who found himself on land in the middle of the evening, eventually found himself a temple to stay at for the night. He then climbed over the mountain and continued onwards to the lodges that had been arranged for him near Oki Shrine.

Some mysterious geo formations can be found here at Tsutsumi Harbor as well. What exactly are these formations? “The formations are similar to that of an onion, but when you peel an onion, the core layers inside remain. However, the complete opposite is occurring here.” Just as the mysteries surrounding the arrival of Emperor Go-Toba persist to the modern-day, Oki itself has many other aspects to it that are still shrouded in mystery.