Go to Goishi

I know it's been a week since I wrote, but I was waiting until I had something to share. I've been living on the scant side of life for a while, waiting until payday so I can go out and have some adventures! In the world of rakugo, an evening of performances consists of the opening act (a novice), the second performer and then the headliner. It's the second performer's life which is like the character arc of any protagonist: out in the world on their own, living hand to mouth and striving to achieve the notoriety of the headliner. That stage of life is called "second-act poverty."

That's where I am right now, not that I'm starving or struggling by any means. I'm just practicing some mad discipline skills until I get the next paycheck and I can go out with friends again and see some new things and new places in Japan.

Last week, spring finally made an appearance. We had sunlight, light wind and deliciously warm weather for about three days. Neighbors were chatting on the streets, children were in the parks, and teens were riding bikes and walking to the shopping centers. And I was off to the Eastern coast for a change of pace.

I love the ocean as much as I love the mountains. I grew up in the woods with parents who were constantly urging me and my brother to go outside and explore. I feel like I didn't take advantage of that enough as a kid, but as I got older, my wanderlust matured and I'd find a way to leave the trail paths.

Someone left these on a post. I Like this post.

 My parents were also great about taking us camping at least once every year. I've slept in mountains, near creeks, on sand and gravel, under open skies and in the shadows of mountains. But my favorite place to spend outdoor time by far is a pine forest by the sea. Maybe that's oddly specific, but that's my preference. I love the smell of pine trees and the feeling of the ground covered in soft pine needles. They absorb any sound so your steps are muffled. Under the smell of sap, you smell salt and seaweed as the wind carries the sound and smell of frothy ocean water through the trees.

Fishing boat far from the water.

I decided to take a day trip to the Goishi Kaigan between Ofunato and Kesennuma. The Tohoku coast was destroyed in the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster. But through hard work and sheer determination, the residents of this area, and most of Japan's citizen's efforts (whether through volunteering or donations), have gradually rebuilt the coast. As you drive along the coast, you see what buildings survived and what didn't. The skeleton buildings and the footprints of others' foundations are scattered along newly paved roads and temporary FEMA-type houses. Even so, life goes on. 

Goishi Kaigan is famous for it's "beaches." In America, we think of a beach and we expect a wide expansive sandy coast. In Japan, a beach could be sandy, but up here in Tohoku, the beaches are exceptionally rocky.

But after centuries of constantly being tossed and rolled by the waves, the rocks are smooth and round. Walking on them is like getting a foot massage! Lying on them after they've baked in the sun is even more blissful!  The Goishi rocks actually resemble the playing pieces in the Japanese game of "go:" specifically, they're mostly marble-like and black.

Goishi Kaigan is also famous for the large rock formations just off the cliffs. One of the most famous is the Kaminariiwa: a large rock that broke off from the larger cliff long ago. The name is actually part onomatopoeia. "Kaminari" means "thunder" and "iwa" means "rock" so it literally is called "Thunder Rock." (Bow chicka wow wow) But as you listen, the way the waves hit the crevices and underwater caves, the resulting sound is exactly like rolling thunder!

I was out there alone and loving every minute of it. I watched birds and spotted some new species for my Life List. I took a few pictures and greeted some Japanese families. But the best part was walking down the hill and walking on a small stony beach alone. Nestled between two cliffs, I sat on the rocks and listened to the waves on the rocks.

It's a beautiful sound and I had a hard time placing where I'd ever heard anything like it. If you can imagine a giant rain stick with marble sized stones instead of small beads...if you think of teeth chattering from the frozen water...if you've seen "Princess Mononoke" or "もののけ姫" and you're familiar with the little white forest spirits called kodoma...

When kodoma -- spirits that symbolize the health of a forest -- shake their heads, the onomatopoeia in Japanese is "taka taka," but it sounds just like the rolling stones on Goishi coast. If I closed my eyes, I could pretend that a thousand kodoma were sitting on the shore with me. I'll remember that sound for the rest of my life.