Me and here - Miura City

"Me and Here" is a series in which people with ties to Kanagawa Prefecture talk about themselves and the towns and spots within the prefecture.
This is the first person.

◆SAM Tachibana◆

Born and raised in Miura, after graduating from high school she lived in Yokohama, Meguro, and Vancouver, Canada before returning to her hometown in 2023 to open an administrative scrivener's office. Her main work is to revitalize Miura and improve the quality of life of its residents, and she also posts about Miura on Instagram and is a member of a volunteer group involved in environmental beautification activities. While living in Vancouver, she hosted "Vegetarian Yoga," which combines food and yoga. She is currently also active as a yoga instructor.

Me and Miura City.

hello everyone!
My name is SAM Tachibana and I am a certified administrative scrivener and yoga instructor in Miura City.
Today I would like to talk about Miura City, where I was born and raised.

Miura City, located in the southeastern part of Kanagawa Prefecture, has a population of 40,442 (as of July 2023), making it the second-lowest populous city in the prefecture.

The population peaked at 50,350 in 1993, and has been declining for the past 30 years, making it the only city in the prefecture designated as a "city at risk of disappearing."

Looking at this data alone, you might think that Miura City is a difficult place to live, but in reality, this is not the case at all.

Miura is a truly attractive town, but in my opinion it has not been promoted well and is not reaching the demographic that finds it attractive.

In this article, I would like to introduce the true charm of Miura, as I understand it only because I was born and raised in Miura and then lived in other cities.

Before talking about the charms of Miura City, I would like to mention some disappointing aspects of Miura.
It would be suspicious to list only the benefits, and just like humans, cities always have both good and bad sides coexisting.

①Poor transportation
The biggest drawback is the lack of transportation. For tourism, it is advertised as being "nature that can be reached in 90 minutes from the city center," but in reality, 90 minutes is quite a long way.

②I can't buy apparel
There are no shopping malls in Miura, so it's quite difficult to dress fashionably.

These are the only two disappointing things about Miura that I can think of.

However, in today's world, I think there are many people who don't mind this unfortunate aspect.
Not only those who work completely from home, but also self-employed people and those commuting to work can be sure to find a seat if they start from the first station.

When it comes to shopping, I use online shopping for everything except for luxury items where size is important, and I'm able to live a relatively fashionable life.

Now, let's get to the main topic! We'll talk about the charms of Miura.
I'll introduce four attractions in total.

① Mount Fuji
Those who are unfamiliar with the area may wonder what Mount Fuji is all about in Kanagawa Prefecture, but you can see a spectacular view of Mount Fuji from Miura.

I go for a walk every morning, and on clear days I am greeted by the magnificent view of Mount Fuji.
In addition, you can see the rare phenomenon known as "Diamond Fuji" twice a year, when the summit of Mount Fuji overlaps with the sun, making it quite famous among Mount Fuji fans.

②Fresh and abundant ingredients
I used to host an event called "Vegetarian Yoga" in Vancouver, Canada, which combines yoga and food. I'm also a qualified chef.
Even from my perspective, the ingredients in Miura are really fresh and cheap!

First, fish.
Miura City is surrounded by the sea, so a variety of fish are caught here.
Apparently, Misaki Fishing Port in Miura City accounts for roughly half of the catch in Kanagawa Prefecture!

Misaki has long been famous for its tuna, but its mackerel is also so famous that it is said that "Seki mackerel in the west and Matsuwa mackerel in the east." There are also many other products available, such as golden eye snapper, horse mackerel, squid, octopus, raw whitebait, wakame seaweed, turban shells, and abalone.
Even at regular supermarkets, you can buy fresh local fish at low prices.

Miurakko grow up without knowing that golden red snapper and turban shells are luxury items.
In fact, that's what happened to me too.

Next, vegetables.
In addition to the warm climate, Miura's well-drained soil, rich in minerals from the sea, allows it to grow wonderfully delicious vegetables.
Radishes, cabbage, and watermelon are well-known, but you can also purchase Western vegetables such as Swiss chard, beets, and Romanesco, which are trendy because they are stylish and rich in nutrients.

In addition to supermarkets, farmers also sell their produce at direct sales outlets, so you can get fresh vegetables picked that morning for 100 to 200 yen.
I also make it a daily routine to go for a walk about three times a week and buy vegetables from farmers. It also makes cooking more fun!

In addition, I recently rented a field and started growing my own vegetables.
Growing vegetables is hard work, but it deepens my appreciation for farmers and the vegetables themselves.

3. Nature activities
To the east of Miura City is Tokyo Bay, and to the west is Sagami Bay. The distance from east to west is about 6 km, and it takes about 15 minutes by car to cross the bay. There are few places in Japan where you can enjoy both a sunrise over the sea and a sunset into the sea.

A famous beach on the Tokyo Bay side is Miura Beach, which is conveniently located just a 5-minute walk from Miura Kaigan Station. The coastline is really long, so you can enjoy the beach without feeling the crowds compared to other beaches.
I also work as an instructor for early morning beach yoga classes hosted by THE POP-UP (https://thepopup.jp), a cafe on Miura Beach.

Doing yoga while listening to the sound of the waves is truly relaxing and makes for a great weekend experience.

Activities aren't limited to the sea. You can also enjoy well-maintained hiking trails such as Jogashima Park and Koajiro Forest, and there is also the Takeyama hiking route that takes you to neighboring Yokosuka City and allows you to enjoy the view of Miura Fuji.

It's really appealing to be able to leave your home and experience a variety of natural activities in the sea and mountains just 15 minutes away.

In order to prevent the natural environment of Miura from being destroyed, I belong to a volunteer group that mows the grass in parks and the sea and regularly cleans up the area.

The other day, while cleaning the ocean, I discovered a flower that can only be found on the Miura Peninsula. Miura is also home to many endangered plant species in the prefecture.

④Population density
As I mentioned in the unfortunate section, Miura has poor transportation access for living, which is why the population continues to decline.
However, there is also an advantage to this: population density. When you live in a city, it can be exhausting to be surrounded by people everywhere you go. Miura City's population density is 1,326 people per square kilometer, which is less than one-sixth of Yokohama City (8,567 people per square kilometer).

If you go for a walk or a run early in the morning, you might not pass a single person. Even McDonald's is less crowded than in the city, and the McDonald's at Miura Beach has an ocean view, so be sure to check it out.

I would highly recommend Miura City to anyone who is tired of crowds.

When you hear this, some people might think, "Low population density means close relationships with neighbors, making life difficult."

But the amazing thing is that this isn't the case with Miura.

Of course, there aren't as many people here as there are in cities, so you can be completely indifferent to your neighbors, but I think that helps prevent crime and curb selfish behavior.

Compared to living in the city, you are much less likely to be attacked by strangers, so you can live a stress-free life.

It's a great place to live comfortably, with relationships that are somewhere in between, without the constraints of the countryside, but not as indifferent as in the city.

First, I would like you to come visit Miura a few times, and if you like it, please consider living here.
I think one of the benefits of Miura being a rural area in the metropolitan area is that you can visit the area multiple times before settling down, and you can easily plan a short move, such as trying out living there.

I know many people around me who live in two places, in the city center during the week and in Miura on weekends, so I think it's a good idea to consider a flexible lifestyle like that.

It's great to be able to live in an environment that isn't too crowded, but Miura's population is aging so much that there aren't many young people. When I think about the future of Miura, I honestly want more and more young people to move here.

I run a public scrivener's office in Miura City, focusing on revitalizing the city (supporting new businesses, etc.), improving the lives of the people who live there (serving as a bridge to the government), and supporting relocation.
Please feel free to contact us below for any inquiries or questions about Miura, not just administrative scrivener services!

Let's liven up Miura City together!

Administrative scrivener office NIJICO
SAM Tachibana
Inquiries: info@office-nijico.com
Home page: here