Japan's Aichi Prefecture is shaped something like a crab, with its "pincers" formed by two long, straight peninsulas angled so that their tips almost converge, enclosing within them Mikawa Bay.

Just inside the entrance to Mikawa Bay from the open sea are three small but inhabited islands, one of which is Sakushima – my destination for this excursion. Sakushima is off the beaten path – a destination not well known to visitors from overseas, but offering a rewarding interlude for adventurous explorers who want to experience "deep" Japan.

For me, getting to Sakushima involved train travel of less than an hour from Nagoya to Nishio Station via the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line and Nishio Line, then a half-hour ride by Meitetsu Bus from the station to the "Isshiki Sakana Hiroba" stop at the Port of Isshiki. Other routes are possible as well. At the port, you can buy a ticket from the high-speed ferry that makes regular runs to and from the island's two ports. The round-trip fare is 1,640 yen for adults, and half that for children (changing to 1,660 yen for adults and 840 yen for children as of October1).

I had a little time before the next ferry run, so I decided to check out Isshiki Sakana Hiroba – a fish market located next to the ferry terminal.

Along with many kinds of fresh marine products taken from the rich waters of Mikawa Bay, on sale at the market were also many kinds of ebi-sembei – shrimp rice crackers, a local specialty.

Sakushima has long been a traditional fishing village, part of the town of Isshiki until that municipality merged with the city of Nishio, which now administers the island. In recent years island residents and the city have joined forces to establish permanent art installations and art-related events on Sakushima, and evidence of these efforts became apparent event before getting to the island. Sharing space with the fish market is Sakushima Navi Station – a facility providing information about the island for visitors, as well as housing two works that are considered part of the island's art holdings. One is a large mural titled "Beyond Here" depicting a tree and Sakushima off in the distance.

The other is "Knowledge Beehive," a warren of small plywood chambers, some of which contain smaller art pieces, books, and other items intended to spark intellectual curiosity.

The walls also bore posters for "Neko to Jiichan" (also known as "The Island of Cats"), a live-action movie adaption of a popular manga that was filmed on Sakushima.

By then it is was almost time to catch the ferry, so I headed back to the terminal and took my place in line.

Travel time to Sakushima is less than half an hour. The ferry first stopped at the western port, but I wasn't to explore the island from the other side, so I stayed on the boat for the next leg of the circuit, which was to the eastern port.

Soon we docked, and I set out to explore.

My first destination was an unusual beach at the island's southeastern tip.

I set out on a short hike that took me through a residential section – I passed behind a ryokan inn where sleeping robes were hanging out to dry – and then along a woodland path through tunnels of trees.

Eventually the sea came into view.

What makes this beach remarkable is the purple color of the sand. The color comes from the shells of mussels common in the area whose inner shell is purple.

The beach was practically deserted, with craggy low cliffs stretching off to either side and views of the peninsulas and other islands off in the distance.

The water was also very clear.

Back on the trail, I headed next to nearby "Apollo," a lookout structure of interesting design.

The room at the top of the stairs offers a pretty view of the island's ocean side.

The next stop was Benzaiten, a small Shinto shrine on Tsutsushima, a little island now joined to Sakushima by a causeway. The path there took me by more scenic views, as well as art installations.

This shrine features "wish rocks" -- after making an offering to the shrine (300 yen is suggested), supplicants write their hopes or desires on small, smooth stones, and leave these at the place provided. If what is hoped for comes to pass, the supplicants revisit Benzaiten Shrine to express their gratitude.

The area around the shrine is also worth exploring. I found a bamboo grove…

...and also a statue of a Jizo deity.

During my wandering I saw many other visitors on bicycles. These are all rented from businesses near the ports, and are priced at around 500 yen for two hours. They make for a convenient way to get around the island.

After all the morning explorations, I was ready for lunch! Right by the eastern port I found an eatery called Suzuya whose most popular menu selection is the local specialty oasari-don -- a rice bowl topped with the meat of a kind of large clam found in the waters around the island.

I recalled having seen those clams at the fish market earlier. August is when they're at their plumpest and tastiest, I learned.

Oasari-don is said to have originated here at Suzuya. Now it can also be enjoyed at other establishments on Sakushima, but it isn’t available anywhere off the island. It proved to be both tasty and filling!

Just south of the eastern port was Oshima, another small island also connected to Sakushima by a causeway, and that was my next destination. On the causeway itself I came upon a large art piece called East House

Another friendly visitor was kind enough to snap a couple photos of me on East House.

On Oshima I found more art and nature, as well as a grove of ume trees that turn the island pink when they bloom in early spring.

Sakushima is also known for its cat colonies, and back at the port I found some other visitors interacting with two young kittens.

I also found an installation called “Seagull Parking.”

My final destination on this trip was Ohirune House, a photogenic giant wooden seaside block equipped with ladders for easier climbing.

After that it was back to the dock to catch the return ferry.

Sakushima offers many more photo-worthy sights and fun places to explore. I only got to see a few on this trip. I can't wait to go back again to experience the rest!