Days like this are not uncommon in this area. It's a shame the morning sun was hidden, but even though it's August, it's cool and easy to run.
When I got to the beach, surfers were waiting for waves. It seemed like good waves weren't coming. I stopped and watched them for a while.
They say surfing is a "waiting sport," and I can see why. How long do they have to wait for waves? Apparently, surfers who can't wait don't improve.
Of course, there are also fishermen on the beach. They, too, must be masters of waiting. Both surfing and fishing require patience.
Running along the coast brings a sense of peace to my mind. The sound of waves coming in, and then receding. That endless cycle makes me feel the life of the earth.
Why do I feel a sense of nostalgia when I let the sound of the waves wash over me? It becomes difficult to leave the beach. I forget the passage of time. I am drawn far away from the daily grind of being rushed by time. That is a happy thing.
Perhaps that's why I forget the tension and fatigue in my leg muscles. If there were a running path along this coastline, I'd want to run forever.
On Akashi Coast, where many surfers gather, stands the eastern Ichino-Torii (first gate) of Kashima Jingu Shrine. Compared to the massive vermilion western Ichino-Torii, it has a subdued presence, but here you can worship the morning sun.
Near this torii, on a hill overlooking Kashimanada Sea, stands the Kashima Lighthouse, 32 meters high. Since the area is misty, the flashing light is clearly visible even though it's not night.
The Minatogaoka Public Cemetery, adjacent to Orizu Coast, is also a place that tells the modern history of Kashima. Due to the construction of the Kashima Coastal Industrial Zone, which began in 1961, all households in Izumigawahama were forced to collectively relocate to Hirai Oshiage Ward. Along with this, the cemetery was also relocated and built.
With the construction of the industrial zone as a national project, the three towns of Kashima, Kamisu, and Hasaki (now Kashima City and Kamisu City), which were once semi-agricultural and semi-fishing towns, underwent a dynamic transformation.
If you run along the coastline, you'll see groups of smokestacks from the industrial complex built during the period of rapid economic growth. That, too, is a feature of this region. It has become one of the landscapes that define Kashima and Kamisu.
I continue my journey, feeling the passage of time.
Text and Photos: Yoshida (Community Relations Team)