Pacific Ocean - Cascadian Abroad

Jogasaki Coast

July 15, 2015 by Robert Haddan

Back home, heading to the coast for the day didn’t require much thought. Hop in the car, swing by the grocery store for some snacks and make the hour-or-so drive to the beach.

Last Friday, we decided to spend the weekend at the Jogasaki Coast on the Izu Peninsula southwest of Tokyo. I get the sense that a “trip to the coast” isn’t something that’s just done from central Japan. It requires some planning: finding a place to stay, mapping out the three-hour train ride… however, the swinging by the grocery store for some snacks part is the same.

The snack cart on the Limited Express train, complete with beer-on-tap

But, we made it happen! Things came together nicely as we found a low-cost ryokan (Japanese inn) near the main train station in Ito city. The limited express train from Tokyo follows the coastline and, similar to the shinkansen (bullet train), offers reserved seating, a snack bar and a snack cart, complete with beer-on-tap. I’ll write more about train culture in the future—the way people behave on the different types of trains is fascinating.

Mikan (Japanese mandarin orange) ice cream at Jogasaki Orange Village

Two of Ito's meibutsu (famous regional products): wasabi and yamamomo. — Two of Ito’s meibutsu (famous regional products): wasabi and yamamomo.

The six-glass sampler at Izu Kogen Brewery included a yamamomo champagne beer, an orange beer and a stout made in honor of the 1998 summit between Russian president Boris Yeltsen and Japan's prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto — The six-glass sampler at Izu Kogen Brewery included a yamamomo champagne beer, an orange beer and a stout made in honor of the 1998 summit between Russian president Boris Yeltsen and Japan’s prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto

Our grocery-store buffet at the ryokan included yakisoba, inari sushi and dango among other things

Tofu steak and deep-fried daizu "meat" at Cafe Sora in Ito — Tofu steak and deep-fried daizu “meat” at Cafe Sora in Ito

Locally-made Shizuoka Cola is made with green tea, of course!

Eating is a big part of traveling and this trip didn’t disappoint. We had an amazing vegetarian lunch at Cafe Sora and a fun and filling dinner at the ryokan made up of random things picked up at the nearby grocery store.

Sampling meibutsu—the Japanese word for famous products of a region—is a fun way to get to know an area. In Ito, that’s wasabi, mikan (mandarine oranges) and yamamomo (bayberry). We had wasabi ginger ale, yamamomo soda (and beer), and mikan ice cream (and beer).

The area around the coast is a national park

The Jogasaki Coast is popular with fishermen providing fresh seafood to local restaurants

A view of the Sagami-Nada Sea through the trees of the coastal hiking path

This couple brought their cat hiking with them and posed for several pictures on the Hashidate Suspension Bridge.

After our lunch at Cafe Sora, we hiked along the coastal trail. From Renchakuji Temple, the path south takes about three hours to get to the Hashidate Suspension Bridge. The trail winds through forest and along the rocky coast, offering breathtaking glimpses of the sea.

The complete ryokan experience includes yukata!

Staying at a ryokan was on our short list of things to do while in Japan. We stayed at the charming Hinodeya Ryokan a short walk from Izu Kogen Station. The small guesthouse has just a few rooms and the service was excellent. We were given the quick tour and shown to our room, which was nearly as large as our apartment! A small carpeted entry area was separated by traditional sliding shōji doors leading to two tatami-floored rooms.

A chabudai (low dining table) was arranged in the middle of the first room where we were served iced green tea. The second bedroom was made up with traditional futons. We were given yukata—light cotton robes—to wear around the ryokan or even out on the town!

The shared baths were separated by gender, but they set us up in the smaller women’s bath so we could relax together. All of our previous onsen/sento experiences have been in the gender-separated baths, so this was a pleasant change to be able to share the experience.

The next morning, we were served a traditional Japanese breakfast in the main dining room downstairs. We wore our yukata to breakfast and laughed when a Japanese family entered the room dressed in their normal clothes. Oh, foreigners! The breakfast included rice, miso soup, tsukemono (pickled vegetables) and a hotplate to make a small omelette. They also had a pickled shrimp dish and a whole fish—head and all—split down the middle. We just moved the fish dishes around a bit, not wanting to be rude.

After breakfast, we were served coffee in the “family room” where the lady who made our breakfast showed us pictures of her garden. At checkout, the man who seemed to run the place asked where we were going. I told him we were headed to Mt. Omuro and he said he’d give us a ride, turning an hour-long bus trip into a 10-minute drive. Plus, riding in a car is a rare experience, so that was an added bonus!

Mt. Omuro, a dormant volcano with an archery range in its crater

Thanks to the lift, we arrived at Mt. Omuro just after the cable car opened, beating the crowds. From the top of the grass-covered dormant volcano, you can see the surrounding mountains and farmland, the village below and all the way out to the sea and the Izu island chain. An archery range has been set up inside the crater. A man and his daughter fired arrows while tourists watched from above (see the video below).

Every February, the sleeping giant burns brightly, but the scheduled fire and smoke don’t come from within. The Yamayaki of Mt. Omuro is one of the area’s most popular events as the grass is burned to promote healthy growth for the coming year.

Video: Jogasaki Coast and Mt. Omuro

Ito was the perfect weekend getaway; a soul-refreshing trip to the sea.

Typhoon Vongfong

October 13, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Growing up near the Columbia River Gorge, strong winds and rain are a part of my DNA. As kids, we’d play catch in those winds and pretend we were fielding fly balls at Wrigley Field in one of those 23-22 final score games. Maybe that’s why the recent string of typhoons—starting with Phanfone last week and Typhoon Vongfong rolling through today—don’t get my heart racing much. I certainly won’t be venturing out this afternoon when winds will range between 25-50 MPH, but the forecast shows the storm weakening to tropical storm strength by the time it reaches us in Saitama. It’ll be no worse than a December day back home.

Typhoon Vongfong from ISS — Typhoon Vongfong as photographed by ISS astronaut Reid Wiseman

The images have been spectacular considering the danger that lurks within. Photos from the International Space Station show Typhoon Vongfong engulfing the entire planet. Vongfong reached Category 5 strength at one point last week and is the strongest typhoon of 2014… so far.

Sadly, not everyone went unaffected by Typhoon Vongfong. The typhoons have taken a predictable path through the Pacific Ocean. Okinawa takes the brunt of these storms for Japan and Japan’s national network NHK is reporting several serious injuries and damage in the area. Flooding and potential landslides have resulted in more than 90,000 households in Okinawa being evacuated. If there’s a bright spot, it’s that Vongfong weakened to a Category 1 status by the time it made landfall.

ThinkProgress has a story today about future storms and how the damage and resulting financial impact will continue to grow if we don’t decrease the carbon emissions that cause global warming. The report estimates Japan being impacted the worst, facing $4.4 trillion in losses by 2090, nearly four times that of second-place China.

Ironically, today is Columbus Day on our calendar. In 1962, the “Columbus Day Storm” hit the Pacific Northwest as Typhoon Freda made its way across the Pacific Ocean. When everything was said and done, the strongest storm in a century killed 46 people and can still be recalled vividly by those who experienced it (my family included).

The tower of Campbell Hall on the Western Oregon University campus crumbles in the Columbus Day Storm of 1962 (Wes Luchau)

One of the most indelible images for me is the destruction on the campus of the Oregon College of Education (now Western Oregon University) in Monmouth. WOU is my alma mater and photos of the damage were part of our heritage. Campbell Hall‘s bell tower collapsed during the storm. Student Wes Luchau captured the moment with a photograph that would be used by local newspapers and later appeared in LIFE magazine.

For now, we’ll sit and wait. It’s been raining for a couple hours, but the worst of the storm will roll through overnight. Hopefully the wind and rain will bring nothing more than a few childhood memories.

Island Time

May 26, 2014 by Robert Haddan

As I’ve mentioned before, getting around without a smartphone in Japan requires a lot of planning. Before heading somewhere new, I spend a lot of time on Google Maps. Each trip usually includes a new lesson about what not to do next time.

This past weekend, we headed to a new-to-us part of Tokyo. The final destination was to be the Tokyo Island Fair in Hamamatsucho, preceded by a lunchtime stop at Island Veggie, a Hawaiian-style macrobiotic restaurant in Hiroo.

The “mile walk” from the train station to Hiroo was probably closer to two miles. We walked right past the restaurant once and also found a train station about a block away. Add “don’t trust ‘fewer transfers’ on Google Maps” to the list of lessons learned. But, on the sunny side, we saw some cool stuff along the way, including some awesome architecture.

Cracked building — A modern glass building appears to be hatching from this standard concrete structure.

Eventually we did find Island Veggie and enjoyed a great vegan lunch. The menu was entirely in English and the staff spoke it perfectly, which is always a nice surprise at meal time. We’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu. On this day, we had a teriyaki veggie burger, a falafel burger with fries, a soy milkshake and homemade lemonade. Healthy-naughty food is always a treat.

Since the walk to Hiroo was more than we bargained for, we decided to take the train to Hamamatsucho instead of walking as we’d originally planned. The first stop on the line was Roppongi, Tokyo’s high-end midtown, which we’d been meaning to check out. We jumped off the train and did a lap, which is about all Roppongi deserved as far as I could tell. It was a lot of shopping and eating, but the open-air mall near the station did have some decent views.

Tokyo Tower and a park with a heart are visible from the Roppongi Hills complex. A playground with multiple slide options is part of the residential section of the mall.

Back on the train, we headed for the waterfront and our original destination. The Tokyo Island Fair highlighted the food and culture of the Izu and Ogasawara islands. These islands were formed volcanically, so they’ve never been part of the continent. As a result, they’ve evolved on their own and feature plant and animal life unique to the islands. The Ogasawara chain is known as the “Galapagos of the Orient” and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

The festival was held at Takeshiba Ferry Terminal. The terminal serves all of the small islands and opens up into Tokyo Bay, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean. I’m not big on astrology, but I’m an aquarius, the water sign. I love the Willamette Valley, but if I didn’t get to the ocean about once a month, I’d start to get a little claustrophobic. It had been about three months since I’d last seen real water, so this was a treat. A little spiritual cleansing.

Selfie — A little water time on the Takeshiba waterfront.

Unbeknownst to us, our real reason for coming to Japan is to try ALL of the ice cream. This milk ice, made on Izu Oshima island, was fantastic. The best way to describe most Japanese ice cream is that it tastes “clean.” I’m sure an island with an active volcano that last erupted in 1990 could use a good milk ice.

As with any place in Japan, the best treats are usually at the front of the longest line. Well, there’s another theory out the window. The front of this line had snails. Giant snails. Still in their shell. Looking like some sort of hose in the engine of a souped-up car. Suffice to say, we skipped that line.

What are these mollusks? Snails. That’s right… giant, nasty snails.

There were plenty of activities to keep the kiddies entertained as well.

Fishtank — Kids gather around a tank with baby sharks and rays from the islands.

Painting — Kids paint little figurines as part of the Island Fair activities.

When we got off the train in Hamamatsucho, we saw the Tokyo Tower, another landmark on our to-do list. Two birds, one stone… great! The tower is Japan’s second-tallest structure with a design inspired by the Eiffle Tower, although slightly de-classed by the industrial white and safety-orange paint job.

Zōjō-ji temple, a beautiful Buddhist temple, separated us from the Tokyo Tower. Much of Zōjō-ji was destroyed in World War II. The oldest structure on the grounds, Sangedatsu Gate, was built in 1622. Walking through the gate will free a person from greed, hate and foolishness.

We finally arrived at Tokyo Tower where dozens of other tourists joined us in taking up-the-nose pictures trying to get the whole tower in the frame. 1,420 yen (about $14 USD) will get you a great view of the city from the observation deck, but we’d seen enough of Tokyo for one day and headed home.