Chapter 58: CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

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CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

"Well little buddy, we're really going to have to hustle our asses today if we want to make it around the whole northern coast of the Noto Peninsula before nightfall."

Beeep!

As I thought, getting out of Wajima was easy since all I had to do was stay on Route 249. And Route 249 beyond Wajima was well marked.

"My God, little buddy. Look at all those terraced rice fields! Real green at this time of year. And going down step by step all the way to sea! Let's stop here and look at them more closely."

Be-Beep!

After I had looked at them for a while. "You know, little buddy, With all these mountains going straight down almost into the sea there's so little land area on this coast, I bet the farmers have to use what little land area there is to make any kind of crop. No matter how much hard labor it must be to make them. Man what a difference from Shikoku!"

Be-Beep!

We passed a sign reading "Godzilla Rock Overlook."

"Hey little buddy. Let's find out what this's supposed to be."

It was a large rock jutting up from the ocean just off the waterfront with some sort of hole cut into the middle of it.

"Hmm. Nice, but I've seen so many other seascapes like it even on Shikoku. And we don't have time to just gaze at the scenery if we're going to circle around the whole northern part of the Noto Peninsula in just one day. Let's get back to enjoying scenery while we're moving."

Be-Beep!

"Look little buddy, there's a lighthouse just like Shikoku. Let's stop and see what the view from it is like."

Be-Beep!

"The lighthouse itself isn't that much to look at. It's so small and short. But this cliff it's built on! Man, I sure wouldn't want to fall off it. It must be a good fifty meters straight down. Hey! I'll bet that's what the lighthouse is here for. To warn ships to keep away from this cliff."

Then I looked at my watch. "Hmm. It's taken us more than three hours to get here. But if I've calculated right, this is about halfway. But we'd better get moving if we want to get back to Wajima before nightfall, little buddy."

Beeep!

As we putted along the eastern coast, it wasn't as rocky as the western coast. While not as scenic as the western coast, it did mean we could make better time. As we passed through the very small city of Suzu where Prefectural Route 28 that we had been putting on around the northernmost tip of the Noto Peninsula rejoined Route 249, "This is beginning to look more like Shikoku. But for beaches and seascapes, the southern coast of Shikoku is a lot better, huh little buddy?

Beeep!

As we were turning off Wajima's main drag to get to get to our minshuku, "Hey little buddy, we actually made it all the way around the Noto Peninsula and back to Wajima in one day!"

Be-Beep!

While soaking in the ofuro tub of the minshuku I contemplated staying in Wajima another night because the drive from Wajima back to Shirakawa was going to be a long one, too.

I ate at the same sushi shop I ate at yesterday and ordered a full tray of the trawled nodoguro, natch. It was crowded at this time of night. But the itamae sushi chef was just as smiling and cordial as last night. While I was eating, I made up my mind that I would make the long drive back to Shirakawa tomorrow. It was no farther than what we had driven today. And I could relax a lot more with the Okumuras in their huge gassho five story house for at least three nights to rest up a lot better there than here in Wajima.

When I got back to the minshuku, I asked the Okusan if I could make a phone call to Shirakawa.

"Of course! I'll show you to our phone."

To my consternation, she showed me to their pink public phone. Fortunately I had plenty of ten yen coins to stuff into it. As I was talking to the Dannasan, I was startled by how often the phone kept clanking as it gulped down another of my coins during the few minutes it took me to make the reservation for three nights at least starting tomorrow. Perhaps because Shirakawa was in Gifu Prefecture, not in Ishikawa Prefecture?

Slipping into my sleeping futon, I braced myself for another long drive tomorrow. But the thought of the Okumuras, the food and their house waiting for me at end of that drive more than consoled me.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tragically -- long after this story takes place -- Wajima and the Noto Peninsula were struck by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on New Year's Day (Japan's family holiday equivalent to Christmas Day) 2024, killing 20 people in Suzu and 19 in Wajima alone and making more than half of the houses in Wajima unlivable. The morning market has been reopened, in a different location after a 6 month hiatus. The Wajima-nuri lacquerware industry has only just begun to recover. And, of this writing, the tourism industry is still warning people not to come to Wajima except for special reasons -- KW]

Submitted: November 28, 2024

Romance romance japan gaijin travel-in-japan japan-1970s

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B Douglas Slack

As I read this I wondered about the earthquake and the aftermath.

Is there really a Godzilla Rock, or was that translated from "Gojira Rock"?

Bill

Fri, December 13th, 2024 5:51pm

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No, as far as I can tell at least. The English name is Godzilla Rock but the Japanese name is completely different. I came across it once by accident but haven't been able to find it since.

Ken

Mon, December 16th, 2024 6:16pm