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NATUREDAY88DECEMBER11THOKIISLANDS,SHIMANETODAY,ASWEFOUGHTTHEBITTERCOLDWINDSCOMINGOFFTHEJAPANSEA,WEWITNESSEDANOTHEROFNATURE’SFANTASTICLIGHTS.WEAREONNISHINOSHIMA,ONEOFTHEDISTANTOKIISLANDSTHATUSEDTOBEVISITEDENROUTETOKOREA.IT’SABEAUTIFULPLACETHAT,ASSOONASIMENTIONEDMYNATIONALITY,PEOPLESAIDHASDRAWNCOMPARISONWITHSCOTLAND’SWESTCOAST.ANDTHEY’RERIGHT–THEBACKSIDEOFTHISVOLCANICOUTCROP,ALONGONEOF“THEMOSTSCENICWALKSINJAPAN”,DOESINDEEDHAVEBEAUTIFULLYHAGGARDCLIFFSSIMILARTOTHOSEOFMYHOMELAND.UNLIKESCOTLAND,THOUGH,THEWATERHEREISSUPERBLYCLEAR,ANDWARMENOUGHFORSWIMMINGINTHESUMMER.THATWASN’TPOSSIBLETODAY,NOTWITHAWINDJETTINGFROMSIBERIADIRECTLYONTOOURNUMBFACES.BUTTHELEADENSKYWASN’TWITHOUTSOMEREDEEMINGFEATURES.NO,WITHALOWWINTERSUN,ANDTHEWINDPERIODICALLYBREAKINGUPTHEOCCLUSION,WEWERETREATEDTOSOMETHINGCOMPLETELYUNFORGETTABLE.