Next time you're in Japan, go island-hopping in Okinawa

The heart rocks of Kouri.

Joyful anticipation starts right on the path leading from the parking lot to the beach. There’s the thundering sound of the crashing surf, the taste of salt in the air.

Stone steps lead down to the beach, where your feet sink into the sand and your eyes take in strange rock formations. Waves are washing around the formations, which, due to their shape, are called the heart rocks. But they could just as well pass for gigantic mushrooms sticking up out of the water.