The Pacific Ocean at Oarai Isosaki Jinja

More photos of the coast and ocean at Oarai Isosaki Jinja in Ibaraki Prefecture to the north east of Tokyo. The torii, the shrine gate, located on top of a rock in the ocean is especially photo worthy, and very popular with photographers from all over Japan. The waterfront is reached by just walking straight down from the main shrine building, passing the huge torii just before the stairs, crossing the road and then following a small path down to the water in between two buildings. If you are ever in the neighborhood I recommend it!

Oarai Isosaki Jinja – Pacific Ocean

The great shrine of Oarai, the Isosaki Jinja start on a hill but goes all way down into the ocean, with the final piece of the shrine being the tori standing on a rock in the ocean. The torii survived the earthquake and tsunami perfectly and is as superbly photogenic as always. I googled images of it and found my own meagre snapshots amazingly lacking in doing it justice. Well, I will get more chances I hope! I love this particular piece of the coast, the Pacific Ocean is pretty powerful here and although it might now look too much on the surface the water is full of currents making swimming and surfing too hazardous to attempt. So most people come here to enjoy just looking at the ocean, or going for a swim in some of the more sheltered coves and harbors that can be found here and there. More photos to come!

The Last of August – Yuigahama Beach

The last of August, a Sunday, I was in the city of Kamakura south of Tokyo and went down to the Pacific Ocean beach Yuigahama to enjoy the last of the August sun. It was just as beautiful as always. Although Kamakura is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Japan the beach and the area around it not very developed, and there are still some areas that have not changed a bit since after the War. Even on crowded days the beach is not that crowded really, and it is long enough that it is easy to just walk a little bit further and get a bit more space for yourself. In the summer there are life guards working some days, and special beach bars set up just for the season, serving food, drinks and even hosting club events.

Beach Sparkler

Walking along the Yuigahama beach in Kamakura City on the edge of the Pacific Ocean I saw this couple having fun with some sparklers. It looked fun and romantic. Fireworks are very popular in Japan and an integral part of Japanese culture. Unfortunately there are very few places for people to enjoy them safely in the crowded cities of Japan. But the beach will always do nicely.