An eco-friendly trip in an EV - Traveling through the sea and green peninsula beloved by an artist!
Manazuru Peninsula is a small peninsula that juts out from the southwest of Kanagawa Prefecture. Located between the bustling cities of Odawara and Yugawara, the town has chosen to develop itself according to its own unique "standards of beauty," and is blessed with abundant nature and a quiet lifestyle.
We visited the scenery of this peninsula, beloved by artists, in an environmentally friendly EV.
《This is the route for this trip》
The start is at the intersection in front of JR Manazuru Station. Once you turn onto Prefectural Route 739, turning towards the sea from National Route 135, you will not have to worry about getting lost as it is basically a straight road that goes around the entire peninsula.
As we walked down the slope, the view opened up and Manazuru Port came into view. There is also a yacht harbor next to the fish market, so you can enjoy a bit of a resort atmosphere.
On the second floor of the fish market, there is a Japanese restaurant called Sakanaza, where you can enjoy freshly caught seafood. On a nice day, the terrace seats with an ocean view look very pleasant.
They open at 10am so we had a late breakfast.
There are many set menus such as set meals, so it's hard to decide what to choose, but on this day I chose the "Local Fish Three-Kind Bowl" (1,780 yen + tax). I was very satisfied!
"Pisces"
[Business hours] 10:00-15:00
[Closed days] Irregular holidays
[Address] 1947-2 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-6511
*The official website can be found here .
The town's guardian shrine, Kifune Shrine , is located very close to the port, so don't forget to say hello.
It has a long history and is said to have been founded in 889, and enshrines the gods Okuninushi, Kotoshironushi, and Sukunahikona.
Kifune Shrine is famous for the magnificent and magnificent Kifune Festival, which is held every year on July 27 and 28. The festival is characterized by the parade of a portable shrine across the sea from the shrine on the mountain and into the town, and is designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Kifune Shrine
[Address] 1117 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-0066
*The official website can be found here .
After driving along the coastline for a while, Kotogahama Beach comes into view. As it is known as the birthplace of diving in Japan, the water is incredibly clear!
There are parking lots and walking paths, so on holidays you can often see families with packed lunches.
After climbing a somewhat steep slope, the path continues into the forest .
The forest began in the Edo period, when a large amount of lumber was needed after the Great Fire of Meireki, and pine seedlings allocated to the Odawara Domain were planted by order of the shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, the forest became an Imperial forest property and access to the general public was restricted, but after the war it became national forest, and in 1952 it was sold to Manazuru Town.
Currently, the area is a primeval forest that is home to hundreds of species of plants and wild birds, including black pine and camphor trees that stand over 30 meters tall, and is carefully protected as a "fish-bearing conservation forest."
After passing through the forest , you will arrive at Cape Manazuru , located at the tip of the Manazuru Peninsula. The scenic Mitsuishi area is just a short distance away. Cape Manazuru also has a shop, a cafe and a free rest room, so you can take a break before heading out.
" Cape Manazuru "
[Business hours] 9:00-16:00 (cafe opens from 10:00)
[Address] 1175-1 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-1112
*The official website can be found here .
*Due to a change in operator, Cape Manazuru will change its operations from April 1, 2020. Please check the website for details.
I found an EV quick charger in a corner of the rotary in front of the facility! It's free!
The vehicle is available for use from 9:00 to 15:00. You can borrow a key at the Cape Manazuru shop reception. However, since it's easy to make the round trip from Yokohama without needing to charge, I parked it in a regular parking lot that day.
A must-see is the Endo Shell Museum on the second floor of Cape Manazuru. The museum's collection includes 50,000 specimens from 4,500 different species, collected over the course of a lifetime by shellfish researcher Endo Haruo, a native of Manazuru. As a "museum of the sea," it also hosts a variety of events where visitors can experience the natural beauty of the Manazuru Peninsula.
The exhibition room displays not only shells found in the sea off Manazuru and shells that live in Sagami Bay, but also rare shells that cannot be found in Japan.
The museum sells "Shining Shell Craft Kits." The kit contains abalone shell chips, which you can polish with the included file and attach a strap to create a sparkling keychain. This one-of-a-kind original accessory is sure to become a wonderful memento of your trip.
Manazuru Town Endo Shell Museum
[Opening hours] 9:30-16:30 (entry until 16:00)
[Closed] Thursdays
[Admission fee] Adults: 300 yen, elementary school students to high school students: 150 yen *Manazuru and Yugawara town residents: Free
[Address] 1175 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-2111
*The official website can be found here .
Just outside the museum, you will find a sculpture made from Komatsu stone, a specialty of Manazuru. It was created by sculptor Atsuya Tominaga for the Manazuru Town Stone Sculpture Festival held in September 2019, and is titled "Love Stone." If you touch it gently, something wonderful may happen.
Photo courtesy of Manazuru Town Tourism AssociationA wonderful spot like this has opened right next door!
Since it is a two-seater, couples or parents and children can enjoy it together.
From the observation deck at the tip of the cape, you can see Mitsuishi , a famous spot for watching the first sunrise of the year. Looking around, you can see Hatsushima, Izu Oshima, the Izu Peninsula, and more.
To the left of the observation deck, there is a staircase leading down to the coast. There are nearly 300 steps, so it seems like it would be difficult to go back up once you reach the bottom, but let's go down anyway.
It really is that impressive when you see it up close!
The coastline around here was formed by lava that erupted 150,000 years ago, and is said to be home to a variety of creatures, including shellfish, shrimp, crabs, and fish. At low tide, a reef stretching out about 200 meters into the ocean appears, and it is possible to walk across to Mitsuishi , but it is very slippery, so please be careful where you step.
After climbing 300 steps, we resumed our drive!
Most of the roads through the forest are one-way, so you can enjoy different scenery on the way there and on the way back. The quietness of the lack of engine noise is a great thing about EVs. Enjoy a leisurely ride while listening to the rustling of the trees and the sound of the distant waves.
There is a walking trail in the forest , so you can see hikers here and there. There are some places where giant trees protrude into the road, so you need to be careful when driving.
Once you pass through the one-way section, you will see the Nakagawa Issei Museum of Art .
Born in Tokyo in 1893, Nakagawa established his studio in Manazuru Town in 1949 after the end of the war, and continued his creative endeavors there.
Nakagawa, who loved Manazuru, loved to paint the fishing village of Fukuura at the base of the west side of the peninsula, as well as roses and sunflowers. He also left behind works of rock paint, calligraphy, and pottery using mineral pigments, and the more you visit the museum, the more you will be fascinated by his wide range of talents.
Near the museum, Nakagawa's studio has been recreated, with the paints, canvases, and furniture he actually used all moved in, giving the impression that the artist is still creating today.
Manazuru Town Nakagawa Kazumasa Museum of Art
[Opening hours] 9:30-16:30 (entry until 16:00)
[Closed] Wednesdays (open on public holidays), December 28th to January 3rd
[Admission fee] Adults: 600 yen, High school students and younger: 350 yen
[Address] 1178-1 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-1128
*The official website can be found here .
Nakagawa is not the only painter who fell in love with Manazuru and moved there. Takashi Hotta, who has been active as a painter in Cagnes in the south of France for 40 years, is one of them. When he returned to Japan, he was searching for a "landscape similar to the south of France" and discovered Manazuru. In 2014, he opened the Takashi Hotta Western Art Museum to exhibit his own works.
The building that is open to the public as a Western-style movie museum was built by a businessman and later used as a doctor's villa. From the large windows in the living room, you can get a great view of the Hakone mountain range, Izu Peninsula, and Sagami Bay.
Mr. Hotta passed away a few years ago, so his wife now runs the business almost single-handedly. Surrounded by brightly colored artworks and listening to stories of their days spent in the south of France, it's easy to forget you're in Japan.
" Taka Hotta Western Painting Museum "
[Opening hours] 11:00-16:30
[Opening days] Saturday, Sunday, Monday
[Admission fee] Free
[Address] 1414 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-5032
Returning to Manazuru Port, we found a cute restaurant called honohono . With its white walls and large windows facing the sea, it has a chic atmosphere that seems like something you'd find in a European resort.
The inside of the restaurant is a cozy space with plenty of natural light. It is surrounded by Scandinavian-style interior with comfortable chairs, making it the perfect place to relax and enjoy your meal.
By the way, the store name is apparently derived from Hawaiian, with "hono" meaning "cove" and "honohono" meaning "a stroll."
Lunch is a set menu, and you can choose your main from fish, meat, two types of pasta, or curry. I chose the "Fish Lunch (1,580 yen + tax)". Since I was there, I also ordered a non-alcoholic wine.
The main dish for the day was yellowtail confit, with a fresh tomato aglio e olio sauce and locally-grown nabana fritters. It may look a little plain, but the taste is so amazing you'll wonder, "What is this?" Even the appetizers and salad dressings are carefully crafted one by one, so each dish is packed with happiness.
When I heard that the fish was delivered directly from the fishermen who unloaded their catch at Manazuru Port right in front of the restaurant, and that the vegetables were delivered directly from Takahashi Farm on the peninsula, I thought, "Of course they can't be delicious."
This is "Saba Kuroshichimi Pasta Aglio e Olio (1,280 yen + tax)". Saba Kuroshichimi is one of the "Atarashii Himono" (a type of dried fish) that was developed by arranging the traditional dried fish technique of Manazuru, and it is also delicious like nothing I have ever tried before. It is usually a dinner menu, but this time I made a reservation and they made it special for me.
A variety of original creative dishes packed with the treasures of Manazuru... We thoroughly enjoyed them!
A bonus photo.
There is an aquarium with tropical fish swimming in it inside the store, and I thought it was just for decoration, but it turns out that these fish were also caught at Manazuru Port. They had ridden the ocean currents to Sagami Bay, but were unable to return to the southern seas and were instead protected by fishermen.
《 honohono 》
[Opening hours] Lunch 11:30-14:30 (LO) / Dinner 17:30-20:30 (LO)
[Closed] Tuesdays and Wednesdays
[Address] 1027 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-20-8556
*The official website can be found here .
I heard that the dried fish shop that developed the "Atarashii Himono" that I had at honohono was nearby, so I decided to visit. It is Uoden, which was founded in 1877.
In front of the store, they are busily preparing dried fish, which arrive from Manazuru Port. While I was looking for dried fish to take home as a souvenir, I noticed a sign in front of the store that read "Squid Bomb." When I asked the store staff, they replied, "We'll fry it right away, so please wait about five minutes." Yes, of course I'll wait!
This is the "Squid Bomb".
To put it simply, it is a croquette made with cheese stuffed inside potatoes, squid, and caramelized onions, and fried in a breadcrumb coating with squid ink. It looks quite impressive, but it's also a new and delicious discovery! It's the perfect size for a snack, but it would also go great with wine, so I bought a bunch to take home as a souvenir.
"Fish Legend"
[Address] 671 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-0467
*The official website can be found here .
Arai Castle Ruins Park is a must-see in Manazuru. It was developed on the site of Arai Sanetsugu's castle in the 11th century, and since it is located on the side of a mountain, even walking around the park once is a good workout.
This usually quiet park comes to life in late March during the cherry blossom season, when the weeping cherry trees in the park all bloom at once, creating a truly magnificent sight.
Arai Castle Ruins Park
[Address] 1789 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
There is one more restaurant on the Manazuru Peninsula that is definitely worth visiting: Minato Shokudo, located at the back of Fukuura Fishing Port on the west side of the peninsula.
What sets this place apart is not only the freshness and deliciousness of the fish, but also the portions. From the "Sashimi Set Meal" where you can taste 4 to 6 kinds of fish, to boiled fish, grilled fish, fried fish, and more, all of them are very impressive. There are more than 20 items on the menu, so if you can't decide, we recommend the "Minato Set Meal (2,100 yen + tax)" which offers a variety of options.
"Minato Restaurant"
[Business hours] 11:00-15:00 (last order 14:30)
[Closed] Wednesday
[Address] 109-2 Fukuura, Yugawara-cho
[TEL] 0465-20-7005
*The official website can be found here .
Once you return to the station, don't forget to buy some souvenirs at the Takayanai Western confectionery shop.
The target is "Aji Sable"!
You can buy them at Cape Manazuru and other stores, but you can also buy them individually at the manufacturer's store, so you can get both a souvenir and a snack. (130 yen each, tax included)
It's not called "Aji Sable" because it's shaped like a horse mackerel. In fact, powdered sun-dried horse mackerel is kneaded into the dough!
Of course, even though it contains horse mackerel powder, there is no fishy smell at all, so you can rest assured. The unique mismatch between the dried fish-designed package and the delicious crispy sable is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face when you give it to them.
"Takayanai"
[Business hours] 9:30-19:00
[Regular holiday] Tuesday (or the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday)
[Address] 1812 Manazuru, Manazuru-cho
[TEL] 0465-68-0304
Filming cooperation: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Vehicle used: Nissan Leaf e+
