At the tip of the cape stood a hotel with a promising view

Hotel on finger of cape — The hotel at the tip of the cape

Sefa Utaki, long regarded as the most sacred site of the old Ryukyu Kingdom, sits quietly on a high ridge in southern Okinawa. The place is wrapped in dense forest and flanked by oddly sculpted rocks, the sort of landscape that makes you believe ancient people really did come here to pray. Sacred sites, after all, rarely announce themselves with signs or plaques; the gods, it seems, have never cared for anything as garish as a billboard.

Walk a little farther toward the cape and the land suddenly falls away, revealing an ocean that stretches so far it feels like the beginning of the world. Sunlight flashes across the waves as they push toward the shore and recede again, endlessly repeating their own quiet ritual. In the distance, perched on a tiny promontory, stands a hotel—an audacious choice of location so close to a holy place. Then again, perhaps the gods enjoy occasional people-watching.

From the hotel windows, the view must be nothing but sea. What humans like to call a “spectacular vista” is probably no more than the gods’ everyday scenery. Thinking of it that way, the room rates—no doubt a little steep—start to make sense. You’re not just paying for a night’s stay; you’re renting a front-row seat in the gods’ own theater.

Sefa Utaki on Google Map

Comment via

日本語