2023 年 11 月 14 日
I had come to this town for a clear reason : To hike along the The Michinoku Coastal Trail. A long distance footpath along the north-east coast of Japan. To get there I had sat on a local train (the Yamada Line), which, after leaving Morioka, had wound its way for over 2 hours through the mountains.
三陸海岸にハイキングに来ました…盛岡からの電車は遅かったですが、景色は綺麗でした…。
....sometimes through scattered farms.....
through tunnels, long and short........
...and sometimes through thick woods.......
The train was comfortable, with big clear windows and a nice clean toilet ( I mention this because other rail companies around the world seem to find this a challenge - or is it the human beings that use them? ).......
電車は快適で、大きな透明な窓と素敵な清潔なトイレがありました
Little snapshots of life in the country flashed by.......a farm....
....a tight delivery......
....a sudden bridge over a fast flowing river......
On the evening of my arrival in Miyako I took a stroll down through the town. Obviously a working town which is not on the Japan-must-see list.......
宮古は観光客が少ない
Friendly people. But could I buy a 100 yen stamp for a postcard? I had the two employees in the post office looking up tables and consulting charts.......hmmm. Not many tourists here obviously. Or people don't send postcards any longer.....
So where was the sea? I walked on. I soon found myself walking under a bridge, with a glimpse of boats through a gap in the sea wall.
では、海はどこにありますか
There was something vaguely familiar about this scene. Of course. The sea wall. I had seen it countless times on Youtube. I have already said that I would be returning to the events of March 2011 in this blog, and here we have it. I will simply give you this sequence:
I pass a car parked under the sea wall.
この壁はYouTubeで見たことがあります
I climb up the steep steps to get this view....
11th March 2011 年 3 月 11 日
My cousin Karen tells me that she worked for a year in this town. Well before this destruction thank goodness.
私のいとこのカレンさんはこの町で1年間働いていました
Putting off my hike until the next day, I decided to follow the suggestion of the Japan Guide and take a cruise boat out along the coast.
What a joy to get out onto the water! I was one of only about 15 passengers, and the tour guide stood at the front making sure that we saw all the sights. She was rather concerned about me though. I did not have the brochure with me - you must see all the sights! In fact I had done my research online, so sat back and enjoyed the view.....and what a view....
クルーズ……
Seagulls followed the boat, sometimes at quite close quarters.....
カモメ
Not surprising really, as some of the passengers were feeding them......
The boat soon turned into a little bay and moored up.
I leant over the railing and just absorbed it all.........
言葉は必要ありません
We disembarked, with an easy walk to Jodogahama beach, a local beauty spot. How long did I want to stay? asked the guide (there were only 3 return trips on the schedule). I said I would be back for the next boat. Phew! What a place! It did not disappoint. It is in a quiet cove, flanked by ragged islands and lapped by a gentle ripple from the Pacific.....
浄土ヶ浜
There were two other people there. Nice for me, but what has happened to Japan's tourist drive? Why do not more foreigners come up and explore Iwate? They all seem stuck in the bars of Tokyo or inhaling the incense of Kyoto.
Not far away was a lovely modern café (with smart loos of course). Almost empty. I sat on a bench drinking coffee and gazing at the heavenly scene in front of me. Of course, being Japan, I shared the view with some colourful figures.....
ここで美味しいコーヒーを飲みました
😉 Yours truly. Wish you were here.
ここにいたらいいのに。
One of my Russian friends in Germany commented that his home town (Vladivostok) was only 7°c and raining....I am not so far south of Vladivostok here, so what am I doing in a T-shirt for heavens sake 😅?
Lots of clear signs down to the beach....(well, clear to the literate at least, of which group I am not a member !).
Learn some Kanji Nigel! 🫤 !
ナイジェルの漢字を学びましょう！
...just look down at your feet....such clear water....
こんなに透き通った水……。
more paradise......In my mind's eye I could see an ink brush drawing on a scroll, or a woodblock print by Hokusai......
葛飾 北斎.....
I could have stayed longer here, but I didn't want to give the guide on the boat a heart attack, so got back to the quayside on time. When I got to the boat I could see that she was looking out for me. Mustn't lose one of the group. Especially as the man didn't have a brochure with him. Honestly, these foreigners......Off we go.......
行こう......
....and our winged friends are back.....
私たちの友達が戻ってきました
And what do you do after a nice little trip like this?......well.......
⛴️ Thank you for reading "...Miyako, Iwate ..."
"...宮古..."を読んでんでくれてありがとう
⛴️ Feel free to share the blog with friends.
よろしければ、リンクを友達と共有してください
⛴️ And it would be nice to hear from you...!
そしてコメントしてください...
Now's the cue for a manhole......😀
THE END
🐟
終わり