Rokkakudo

Today didn’t look like it was going to get quite as sweltering hot as yesterday, but after yesterday’s teasing thunderstorms (thunder and lightning, but only about 5 fat rain drops), I wasn’t about to try inland sightseeing again. Instead I headed for the coast (I don’t think I was subconsciously spiting Helpful Meddler, but I guess you never know). The intended goal was a rocky peninsula that some artist (hailed the father of Japanese modern art – I can dig up his name if you care) had claimed for his retreat house.

To spite me, today’s thunderstorm came full spate just as I was driving over the mountains. What was weird was that the pavement was so hot, the rain would boil off as soon as the drops hit. The mist rising while it was raining was a really neat effect, but it didn’t really help visibility any. I also got to take the rental car off-roading a bit (it’s not my fault that they’d ripped up all the pavement over the pass right before it rained enough to create monster puddles). But as luck would have it, the storm was passing southwest and I was going northeast. So it had settled into a mere light rain by the time I reached the coast.

I never did find the retreat house, but the entire bluff there is really pretty. If it would get me a piece of property like that, I’d claim the muse came to me there too!





Somehow magic occurred while I was in the museum (yes, I paid to go into a museum of modern art – don’t ask, I don’t know what possessed me either), and it was sunny when I came out again. And even a little cooler. So when I noticed a beach up the coast a bit further, I grabbed a snack and headed north. From the number of people that were out fishing or crabbing, I’m guessing there’s not a whole lot else to do in the little fishing village on a Sunday afternoon. It’s probably worse than Omiya for entertainment. But then again, I guess live beach critter trumps dead worm in the remains of a puddle any day.

What scared me was that there was NO one in the water (and it was warm too – the water current must have followed the hot air current). The fishermen were all standing on shore in hipwaders and none of the kids had more than a hand in the water. I don’t know if it was sharks or toxic waste, but I had no desire to put more than my feet in. And I took a shower as soon as I got home, just to be safe.