The rugged and towering cliffs along Jogasaki Coast in Ito, Shizuoka have a mysterious attraction to a traveller. I felt this way the first time my friends and I briefly dropped by on a rainy day in July a few years ago. In January last year, a friend and I decided to hike along the coast; we spent the whole day walking along the 3-kilometer trail. Before reaching Kadowaki Lighthouse, we stumbled upon a ‘tower of stones.’ I found myself asking:
What’s keeping these stones together?
Is it weight? Is it lightness?
Is it lightness over weight?
Or is it weight over lightness?
What’s keeping these stones together?
Is it balance? Is it harmony?
Is it the shape? Or is it the form?
Is it gravity? Or is it the gentle wind?
What’s keeping these stones together?
I wonder.
Probably, it’s due to the humility of the big
and the faith of the small.
Four thousand years ago, Mt. Omuro erupted. Mountains of lava were discharged to the coast. With the patience of waves eroding the red volcanic rocks, the mysterious cliffs of Izu Kougen gradually were born. A boundless beauty invites the traveller.
Getting there
From JR Ito Station, at Terminal 3, take the bus; it's approximately 40 minutes to “Jogasaki-guchi” bus stop. The first trip leaves at 9.15; the second one at 11.15.
