Hikes around Sakurae

Typhoon sailing
August 29-31, 2004

Theres a typhoon heading this way, but weve planned this boat trip for a while, so figure we can get as far as we can and hold up in a safe harbor till it blows over. Its a beautiful day, and no sign of the typhoon, very little wind in fact. Typhoon is one of the few words that have entered the english language from Japanese, although the Japanese classify a tropical depression, a tropical storm, as well as what we would classify a hurricane, all as typhoon. Lots of strong winds and rain, but certainly not enough to inspire the kind of fear that the word typhoon creates in the Japanese. We stow the supplies on board and head off immediately, aiming for Hinomoseki, the headland visible across the bay. Off our stern, Mount Sanbe, at more than 1100 metres, the biggest mountain in the area, is clearly visible. As we approach the point, we see a small island off the point. The chart assures us its plenty deep, so we decide to pass between rather than go around. Just before the point there is a small village with a very nice shrine. It is dedicated to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, the highest of the Japanese gods. Ise Shrine in Mie is the most important shrine in Japan, it is also dedicated to Amaterasu. There it is where the sun rises. Hinomoseki Shrine is where the sun sets. Just as we are passing through the channel, the outboard runs out of gas. Without any wind, and without the engine the boat is bobbing around making it difficult to get the gas in the tank, but we manage it and are on our way again without crashing on the rocks.

We pass the lighthouse and head east along the coast. Most of this stretch of coast is uninhabited, with forest running down to the cliffs and numerous caves in the cliffs. Its getting late, and there is still no sign of the typhoon so we have to decide where to pull in for the night. We basically have 2 choices, The first is the very tiny harbor of Sagiura. There are absolutely no services of any kind there, just a handful of houses. The advantage of this one is that it is a very sheltered harbor. The other choice is a little further on, a long narrow bay with several harbors at the end of it. The advantage of this one is that there will be shops and gas stations. We opt for the second, and figure we can just about make it by dark. As we turn and head into the bay I notice a flock of small bird skimming the surface of the water. A few minutes later I see them again, and then they dissappear. Its then I realize they are not birds at all, but flying fish. As the sun goes down the sky fills with color, and we pass through the breakwater and head for the fishermans quay at Uppurui. Uppurui is a strange name. Its not Japanese, so is probably Ainu (the original inhabitants of Japan). As we tie up, I experience the most colorful and vivid sunset that I have ever seen in Japan, the very air itself seems suffused with redness. We suspect these clouds are the advance of the typhoon, but the air is still, so still and muggy that we cant sleep below decks and so drag the cushions onto the concrete quay and sleep there, albeit fitfully.
DAY 2
We are up before dawn, and the dawn is as intensely colorful as the previous evenings sunset. An old guy out walking his dog suggests that we would be better off weathering the coming typhoon in the harbor on the other side of the bay, so we motor over and find a free berth and begin readying the boat for the typhoon. Once everything is as secure as we can make it we set off to explore the village. We find a gas station and fill up the tank and then find a store and buy some supplies. Its late morning now and there is still no sign of the typhoon, so we grab a bottle of wine and some bread and head 3 kilometeres up a mountain road to Gakuenji temple. The last kilometer is fairly steep, and in the shade of the trees and with the sound of the stream it feels a little cool. All along the road are sculptures and every now and then big signboards with information about the various famous personages who have spent time at Gakuenji. We enter through the main gate and find the place deserted. It is one of the oldest temples in Japan, founded in 594, and was once a large complex of buildings scattered around the mountain. Its now stsrting to look a little run-down, and even the solitary vending machine is unplugged. Right next to the main hall is a Shinto shrine. At one point Buddhism was suppressed as being un-japanese, so a shrine was dismantled and carried over the mountain from Izumo Taisha to lend some credence to the temple. We take one of the numerous stone staircases and head up to where a temple has been built behind a waterfall. The water is not falling today, but I suspect it is quite impressive when it is. Here the monks used to sit under the waterfall and meditate. The silence is broken by wind stirring the tops of the trees high above us. Maybe this is finally the start of the typhoon, so we pack up and head back down the mountain to the boat. Just after getting back the wind picks up some, and it starts to rain. We check all the ropes, and wait. An hour later it is over. Was that it? The Great Typhoon?
Day 3
Just after midnight I"m woken by a bang and a jolt. The bow of the boat has hit the quay. We stumble out of the berths and put on raingear and head out to check the boat. A full storm is raging, and the wind has shifted and is blowing us towards the quay. THIS is the typhoon. We try tightening all the ropes, and wrapping fenders and cushions around the prow. Still the boat smashes against the concrete. Waves crash over the quay. Despite the movement of the boat and the occasional thud we manage to get a few hours sleep and wake at dawn to a calmer day. The typhoon has passed. One bowline had snapped, and the wood of the prow has been sharpened like a pencil, but otherwise no damage. The sea is a dirty brown color and roiling. But weve been in port to long and we decide to head off, stopping first at the fisherman quay to stock up on ice and check on weather reports. As we head out of the bay, the swell is about 4 metres and we worry that once we leave the shelter of the bay it might well be higher, but as we turn and head west it gets no worse, though the wind is changing direction a full 360 degrees constanly and the sea likewise. About an hour later, abreast...... a village made famous for a movie filmed there, the capn decides hes had enough and we turn for home. A few hours later the wind and sea settle down a little into an onshore direction, and the sky begins to clear, though the swell is still 4 or 5 metres.By the time we get back to the lighthouse it has turned into a fine day, and the sea has turned blue again. As we round the headland we are now going with the waves and we literally surf,.. the boat is lifted by the waves and then surges forward to bob for a few seconds before the next wave lifts again. As we pass between the headland and the island the engine stops again. This time we have about 3 metres of polythene sheet wrapped around the prop. Once again we resolve the situation without crashing on the rocks. Instead of heading straight to home, we hug the coast and stop in at Izumo Taisha, home to the very first shrine of Japan. During the month of October, ALL the gods of Japan, and there are many thousands, leave their homes across Japan and gather here at Izumo. As far as I can gather, they spend their time drinking and partying. The capn and I on the other hand visit a Soba restaurant. Soba (buckwheat noodles) is a speciality of Izumo Taisha. But then again, it seems to be the speciality of most places Ive visited. It is delicious however. There is only a few hours left till sunset, so we get back on board and head along the coast to the harbor at Taki. Its really pleasant sailing with a regular rhythm to the movement of the boat. We pass along Nagahama (Long Beach) which as its name suggests is kilometeres of beach, unspoiled by roads or buildings, and surprisingly empty of people. We are 10 minutes from home as the blood red sun kisses the horizon, and then we encounter an obstacle....man made....the buoys of a fishing net running out to sea perpendicular to the coast. It seems to run close in to shore, and theres a lot of submerged rocks that close in, so we head out to sea to go around it. And we head out to see... the net seems to go on forever.... finally, about 3 or 4 kilometres out we see the end buoy and pass around and head for home. The sun is well down and we worry about getting into harbor... the entrance is narrow, preceded by a slalom through a series of breakwaters, but we make it with ease.