Cape Soya
It’s a almost balmy -12 as I rise this Saturday morning. Looking out through the wired windows, does the wind gets that bad?, it is grey but not snowing. My flight back down to Tokyo is at 13:15, yesterday’s was cancelled due to the snow. A trip to the Onsen, the hotel room doesn’t have a bath or shower, the outside pool doesn’t seem at all appealing in the stark daylight. Online there is no news on the flight other than “checking on weather conditions” I fret.
Of all the things I had planned, except for meeting Lucy, todays was the one written in stone. Cape Soya, a barren windswept point, stuck at the top of Japan. I collect the car from the magic garage, even more amazement, it had turned itself around. I had driven it in, and here it was ready to drive out. What demons do these garages possess? The hire car company provides a map with local sights on, it is quite a short list. Each one carries a number that is directly added to the screen. 37km it says, easy I think. Wrong.
Passing the airport gives me a little confidence, there is a fleet of snow ploughs in an echelon clearing the runway, their vivid yellow and spumes of snow a welcome sight against the relentless white.
The road, for the main, follows the coast, the sea never more than 200m away often much closer. Helpfully, downward pointing flashing arrows, point to the edges of the carriageway. The wind, blowing continuously, picks up moisture that instantly freezes and sends it roadward. The little Honda, amazingly sure footed, has a couple of issues. The wipers sit below the output for the screen demist, they constantly collect ice and freeze straight, they then don’t clear the screen. The screen demist on full power, clears mist, but when driving does not provide enough heat to clear any ice left by the wipers. Makes driving interesting.
With regularity, harbours appear, the fishermen obviously wise to conditions, all the boats are out of the water, mounted on stands. There are houses, squat, hunkered down, purposeful, ready for the continuing battle against the elements. Closer to the sea now, just a fence to guide the course, not enough room for the guiding arrows. Fiercer here due to the proximity of the water. Frozen-over breakwaters, cause the sea to lift giving ammunition to the wind.
Another harbour, a small village, snow cleared on their drives, a civic pride in the war against the constant enemy, that that never gives in, that attacks in waves.
Closer now, 5k the machine says, those 5k, with no imagination copy the features of the previous.
The distance to the sea starts to increase, just enough for a car park and an overhead road sign. Nature also gives enough land for a gift shop and two toilet blocks, she does indeed move in mysterious ways. With your back to the south and the facilities the sharp arch stands proudly against nature’s savage backdrop. They have put in a symbolic N, it stands for….
Was it worth it? Of course it was, the Majesty of nature, the ease at which can bring forth such violent behaviour, yet, still be beguiling. Definitely beauty and the beast.
Whilst sat, deep in contemplation, more things occurred to me, Japan has great sandwiches, hot coffee from a vending machine tin can is rubbish and Hull is further North than this.
All Nippon Airways
You did me proud, late but you arrived. Still at -12 a fair bit of deicing to do, but I made it back to Tokyo.
Trip to Japan 