South and West Izu. June 2023. Part 4. Matzuzaki, Eboshi mount, Iwachi and Osawa onsen.
The charm of the small
Part 1 is here. Part 5 is here.
Part 2 is here. Part 6 is here.
Part 3 is here.
Birds doing their roll call, loud sighs of the ocean… I am awake at my hotel in Matsuzaki village.
Today my friend Nagai will come to Matsuzaki, and we will explore the surroundings together. Our meeting time is around 10 am, so, as it is only 8, I have decided to walk the town.
Leaving hotel behind I am walking along the beach towards the fishing port.
Matsuzaki is a small fishing village. Official data says that population here is 6500 people, but locals told me it is shrinking fast and now there are only around 5000 inhabitants in Matsuzaki.
Interesting architecture.
This kind of tiling is called namako wall. Gray square tiles are covered by thick white plaster. It was widely used in housing and rice storages (“kura”) in Izu since 19th century, as the construction was strong against the fire. White plaster resembles sea cucumber, “namako” in Japanese, hence the name.
Really lovely calm town. I felt so peaceful. There is a large supermarket Max Valu, nice walks along the Naka River, beach, hot springs, some historic buildings, few good eateries, even I saw karate dojo. Definitely livable. Need to come to stay a few days. Or longer. Shall see. We never know where we end up. But I feel I like small places more and more. Charm of the small. Maybe it is because you can absorb more in one breath in or in one day, or in one glance?
I am back at hotel where Nagai-san is already waiting, and we make short drive towards Mount Eboshi which is not far from Kumomi Beach.
The climb is quite steep, although the mount itself is not that high (only 162 m).
I wondered why that is and read a bit about Eboshi mount formation. Actually, this mount represents a so called “volcanic neck” - a steep rocky hill created by magma solidifying along the vent of a volcano. I felt a bit dizzy on the top, as it was so narrow. Somehow mentally I compared this mount with a huge rocky candle, wide at the bottom and tiny on the top.
Senganmon Rock, where I wandered yesterday, is ahead.
From here we made a short drive to Ishibu area, then proceeded another 10 minutes towards Iwachi Beach.
Iwachi is a small beach town which in Japan is also called “Japanese Côte d'Azur” for its scenic beaches and yellow roof houses.
Never been in Cote d’Azur, but I feel I like it more here. C’est la vie…
From Iwachi we make another short drive (I definitely don’t walk a lot today - consequences of driving, you need to get back to your car…) to Osawa onsen.
The place has a history of around 250 years. You can come just for a hot spring (500 yen), or you can stay here at a modest price. There is a nice path covered in trees leading to onsen area. In general, I think it can be a pleasant hike from Matsuzaki town (1 hour, I estimate), then returning by infrequent bus or staying overnight (hmm, I am already mentally planning another trip). The water was very HOT at 45 degrees. So, occasionally I climbed out and cooled myself with cold water from the hose hanging nearby. We had a leisurely chat with another traveler. Relaxed and “onsen high” we are out in the open.
By they way, look at the sandals on the picture above. There is a school of thought promoting barefoot or near barefoot running. All these “Adinikes”, the protagonists say, reduce the natural propelling strength of our feet through the cushioning of sport shoes. Man Sandals is a small business running workshops in Shimoda about how to make those sandals. You can buy the components or finished sandals here. Please note that not all of them are for running. Nagai-san occasionally helps in those workshops and himself runs around 35 km per week in the sandals. So, long story short, he had all necessary ingredients in his small truck and assembled a kit for me within 10 minutes while we were at the lunch break. Small effort, huge impression: light and comfy.
Back to the onsen. “Yutsukare” means “tiredness after hot bath” in Japanese. It is a mixed feeling, very individual. To me it is a mix of being tired, but at the same time refreshed and elevated.
Whatever each individual interpretation is, “yutsukare” calls for an icy beer to enhance the feeling.
Not far from Matsuzaki Itoen hotel where I stay, I found a nice looking izakaya.
Definitely such a place simply cannot be bad. It often occurs to me, if some places feel and look good to me, they live up to the expectation.
The elderly couple has been running “Hamamiya” (is the name) for more than 20 years.
After I mentioned that my father was a fisherman, Miyauchi-san, who was cooking for us, brought up a map of Belarus (where I was born) and asked me many questions about lake fish.
That fish was DELICIOUS. Like all other dishes here: homey and tasty place! Nagai-san nodding approvingly.
Tomorrow, I have a relatively long hike to Dogashima via Anjo Cape. But Matsuzaki stays in me now.
Small places do leave big impressions…