Shizuma Shrine & Shizunoiwaya Cave

 

Shizuma Shrine is on a small road close to the coast in Shizuma near Oda in Shimane.

In earlier times it was located inside a nearby sea cave, but a storm in 1674 changed the topography of the cave and so the shrine was moved to its current location.

It was founded in the 9th century and enshrines Okuninushi and Sukunahikona and is based on a poem in the second volume of the Manyoshu.

The poem mentions a stone chamber used as a temporary dwelling by Okuninushi and Sukunahiko while they were "creating" the land.

However, a couple of other sites also lay claim to being the "stone chamber", one a shrine in the mountains upriver from me, and the other a place in Hyogo. As all the Okuninushi and Sukunahikona stories are set in the Shimane and Tottori regions, the Hyogo claim seems suspect.

A monument inside the cave memorializes the Manyoshu poem.

The cave has two entrances, although now they are roped off and no-one can enter because of the danger of falling rocks.

The cave is on the beach right next to the small fishing village of Uozu, just west of the mouth of the Shizuma River.

I visited at the start of the fifth day of my deep exploration of the coast of the Sea of Japan. The previous post was on Isotake Beach where I ended the 4th day.

Isotake Beach

 

Isotake Port is situated in small bay protected by a headland. On the seaward side of the ports residential area runs a narrow beach.

The beach runs up to a couple of small headlands. In the distance can be seen the Shimane Peninsula that I will reach in a couple of more days walking.

Inland Mount Sanbe is clearly visible. At 1,126 meters, it is the highest point in the former province of Iwami, and is actually classed as an active volcano, but has not erupted in historical times.

Like so much of the coastline of Japan, it has its fair share of concrete tetrapods protecting it, though to be fair on the Japan Sea side we have a lot of natiral coatsline left compared to the Pacific Side.

After these couple of headlands there is a long stretch of somewhat wilder beach.

This is called Isotake Beach and inland of it is the Isotake JR station and an agricultural settlement now cosidered part of Isotake.

The previous post in this series exploring the Sea of Japan coastline was on Isotake Port.

The Undersea World of the Oki Islands

 

Shimane, on the coast of the Sea  of Japan has some fantastic clear seas and white sand beaches, and none better than around the Oki Islands about 20k-30k off the coast.

Long known as an excellent place for snorkelling and scuba diving, the sea is so clean that oysters caught here can be eaten fresh.

For those who can't snorkel or scuba dive, there is however another option, an undersea viewing boat.

The Amanbow is not a glass-bottomed boat, rather the hull has huge, picture windows, so passengers can sit in the middle and look out as if in an aquarium.

The boat leaves from Hishiura port on Ama Island, and heads out to view the Saburo Iwa Rocks, a group of rock pinnacles rising from the sea just off the coast.

Near the rocks the passengers then head below and look out into a surreal undersea forest of seaweed.

The crew meanwhile throw out food to attract fishes and soon they appear.

It is possible to imagine you are looking at what might be on your dinner table later that night. The seafood on the Oki's is superb.

The previous post in this series exploring the Oki Islands was on the Saburo Iwa Rocks.

Takuno Port

 

From the harbour at Nima, it is not far to Takuno port, with just the Nima beach, a small headland, and a small cove in-between.

There are a couple of small islands just offshore and they provide good protection so the harbour became one of the Kitamaebune ports. The next Kitamaebune port down the coast is Yunotsu.

The small town has several warehouses and large merchant homes that would have prospered during the Edo and Meiji periods when the trade route was at its peak.

I have passed through Takuno several times, most recently while walking the Iwami Kannon pilgrimage.

The largest of the offshore islets is called Karashima and according to the myth it was the "stone boat" that brought Susano from the Korean peninsula in a little-known variation on the ancient myths of Japan.

Nowadays there are no tradeships, only inshore fishing boats and a few squid boats use the harbour.

However, like so much of the Shimane coastline, there are plenty of fine views.

The previous post in this series exploring the coastline of the Sea of Japan was on Nima harbour.

Japan Sea Coast Maji to Nima

 

From Maji, the village that has Kotogahama Beach, to Nima, the next settlement up the coast, there is no coastal road and so the road rises to cross over the headland.

Looking back down the coast I can see the coastline I have walked along for the past three days, with the tall chimneys at Gotsu, my starting point, just visible.

The narrow road through the forest is uninhabited for about 2k until the road drops down to the Shiono River.

This is the main river of Nima, but is not very big and starts nearby in the mountains around Iwami Ginzan.

I walk up to the mouth of the river to see the views before backtracking and heading into Nima Port

The previous post in this series on the Japan Sea Coast was on Kotogahama Beach.

Tomogaura World Heritage Site

 

Tomogaura is a small fishing harbour in a narrow inlet and is part of the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Site.

In the 16th century it was one of three ports used to service the mine and take out the mined silver. When the Tokugawa government took over the mine at the start of the 17th century it continued to be used to service the mines, but the silver was taken out overland to Onomichi on the Inland Sea.

It was the closest port to the mine, and is believed to have been the first. The 7k  route from the port to the mine is also part of the World Heritage Site.

The other two ports were Okidomari and Yunotsu. where I had left early this morning on this walk.

Right next to Tomogaura, now accessible through a small tunnel in the cliff is the expanse of Kotogahama Beach. The previous post in this series documenting my walk along the Sea of Japan coast was the walk from Yuminato Harbour.