Reihoku is a speck of a hill, rising abruptly from the tip of an 80s-necktie-thin peninsula at the northwestern corner of the main island of Amakusa, roughly equidistant across the sea from Nagasaki’s Shimabara and Nomozaki peninsulas, which once formed a corner of the Christian activity that eventually resulted in the Shimabara Rebellion due to its isolated position. Its beaches will be introduced in a later post. In the meantime, Kumanichi reports that the Kōtsufukae Yasakajinja held a festival this morning called the “Naked Festival” (裸まつり hadaka matsuri - though, as they’re wearing loincloths, or fundoshi, they’re not technically naked) during which participants carried a mikoshi, housing gods no doubt equally shivering, out to sea to pray for aid against illness and disaster in the coming year. Not sure if bathing in the sea midwinter is a good way to aim for that, but let’s all hope it works. https://kumanichi.com/articles/534031