Enjoy a Real-Life Treasure Hunt as You Travel Around the Oki Islands | “The Earth’s Pulse and the Four Islands”

The geopark is holding a real-life treasure hunt that requires participants to solve riddles as they explore the Oki Islands to discover a legendary rock that resides on the islands. This event allows participants to experience the beauty of the Oki Islands while making it feel like a game. Participation is free and can be done at your convenience, with a raffle available for luxurious prizes, so be sure to participate while sightseeing! 

Event details 

★Duration
September 9, 2023 (Sat) – February 29, 2024 (Thur) 

★Location
Oki Islands, Shimane Prefecture (Okinoshima Town, Ama Town, Nishinoshima Town, Chibu Village) 

★How to Participate
Pick up a free participation pamphlet from any of the Tourism Associations and participate when you want

★How to play 

1.  Learn about the island you are trying to tackle! You can tackle as many islands as you like. 
2. Go to the location for the clue! Head to the spot indicated by the “clue” on the participation pamphlet map! 
3.  Find the clue! You will find a panel when you go to the location of the clue. 
4. Find the treasure box! Solve the riddle using the clues you’ve gathered to discover the resting place of the treasure box. 
5.  Note the keyword! When you find the treasure, write the keyword you find there in your pamphlet. 
6.  Report your discovery! When you do, you can enter the raffle for luxurious prizes. 

*This treasure hunt is for the purposes of increasing tourism among the islands, and as such, island residents are ineligible for the prize raffle. We ask for your understanding. 

*To enter the raffle, participants must answer a survey. 

*Participants may report their discovery on any of the four islands. 

Story

I rock with the boat as, today, I head to the Oki Islands.
I am a college student aiming to become a geologist.
The professor of my seminar class told us, “If you have your heart set on becoming a geologist, make your way to the Oki Islands at least once. That place can truly be said to be where everything began.”
My interest piqued, I traveled across the long distance with the feeling that I was going on vacation. 

My feet make landfall on the island, and I promptly look about my surroundings.
As I do, a person looks at me with surprise and comes running over.
“Excuse me, but are you a student of Professor Kurose’s seminar?”
Startled, I tell them that I am.
“Professor Kurose left an assignment with me to pass on to his students. He wants you to finish this assignment and learn more about the Oki Islands. Also, he said to write a report over 4000 characters by the time you return…” 

Oh, my. How is this any different from an extracurricular class?
I hesitantly took the assignment and scanned it.
However, to my surprise, most of it was written in technical jargon that I wasn’t able to understand.
After trying my hardest to decipher the part I could read, I found the following message:

“Your assignment this time is to research the Rock of Beginnings, which is said to be the only rock that leading geologist Doctor Kamino was unable to research. The Rock of Beginnings is said to be imbued with the fantastic power of nature and the land. From Doctor Kamino’s research, we know that this rock rests somewhere on these islands. Your mission is to locate the Rock of Beginnings.”

This was the moment I took my first step as a geologist.
Decipher the assignment given by the professor and locate the Rock of Beginnings.

Prizes

You can enter a raffle for luxurious prizes based on the riddle(s) you solve.

◆Solve the riddle of one island!

Dōgo Prize for those who solve the Riddle of Dōgo Island 

Chiburijima Prize for those who solve the Riddle of Chiburijima Island 

Nishinoshima Prize for those who solve the Riddle of Nishinoshima Island 

Nakanoshima Prize for those who solve the Riddle of Nakanoshima Island 

You can enter any of these raffles! 

*Participants who solve the riddles of multiple islands can enter multiple raffles.
*Island residents are ineligible for the prize raffle.

◆Solve the riddles of all four islands

Those who solve all four riddles can take on the bonus challenge of the “Extra Riddle!” Receive the clue for the Extra Riddle when making your discovery report and use the keywords as your guide. A raffle with a special prize awaits those who solve the Extra Riddle!

Details for the prizes can be viewed using the following website. 

*This treasure hunt is for the purposes of increasing tourism among the islands, and as such, island residents are ineligible for the prize raffle. We ask for your understanding. 

Takarush special website

Try solving a sample riddle!

After solving the riddle, you can make a discovery report on the Takarush! Website. Solving problems earns you Hunter Points! 

*Making a discovery report requires free Takarush! Hunter registration. 

Please Read

■Do not reveal spoilers to others 

Sharing information such as the location of treasure boxes on online platforms like social media websites ruins the game for other participants. 

We ask that you leave out any information that may be considered spoilers when sharing your ideas and feedback on these platforms. 

Hints are provided at certain locations. If you are having a difficult time answering riddles, please visit those locations. 

■Refrain from actions that would harm the ecosystem 

The Oki Islands are a part of Daizen-Oki National Park and are recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark. 

We ask that you refrain from actions that would harm the ecosystem, such as littering, in order to protect these lush, great outdoors. 

■Clues and treasure boxes are not placed in the following locations: 

Areas that are off-limits, submerged in water, underground, within facilities that require payment, or dangerous locations 

*Please be mindful of your safety as you enjoy hunting for treasure. 

■Contact Information 

Oki Islands Geopark Management Bureau 

08512 – 2 – 1577 (9:00-16:30) 

Please contact us if there is anything that comes to your attention.