Me and here -Miura City-
"Me and Here" is a series in which people with ties to Kanagawa Prefecture talk about themselves and the cities and spots within the prefecture.
The first one is this 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 of Miura in 2023 and opening an administrative scrivener's office. Her main work is to revitalize Miura and improve the quality of life of Miura residents, and she also posts about Miura on Instagram and is a member of a volunteer group that works to beautify the environment. While living in Vancouver, she hosted "Vege Yoga," which combines food and yoga. She is currently working 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), the second-lowest population of any city in the prefecture.
The population peaked at 50,350 in 1993, and has been declining for the past 30 years. It is 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 is not being promoted well and is not reaching the demographic who find it attractive.
In this article, I would like to introduce the true charm of Miura, as I understand it because I was born and raised in Miura and then lived in other cities.
Before I talk about the charms of Miura City, I'd like to talk about the disappointing parts of Miura.
It would be suspicious to list only the benefits, and just like humans, cities always have good and bad sides that coexist.
①Poor transportation access
The biggest disadvantage 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 90 minutes is quite far in real life.
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 from the first station can be sure to find a seat.
When it comes to shopping, I shop online 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! I'll talk about the charms of Miura.
There are four attractions that I would like to introduce.
1. Mount Fuji
Those who don't know 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 Mt. 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 was hosting an event called "Vegetarian Yoga" in Vancouver, Canada, which combines yoga and food. I am also a qualified chef.
Even from my perspective, Miura's ingredients are really fresh and cheap!
First, fish.
Miura City is surrounded by the sea, so a wide 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 been famous for its tuna for a long time, but its mackerel is also so famous that they say "Seki mackerel in the west, Matsuwa mackerel in the east." There are also a huge number of other seafood available, including golden eye snapper, horse mackerel, squid, octopus, raw whitebait, wakame seaweed, turban shells, and abalone.
Even at ordinary 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 buy 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 go for a walk about three times a week and buy vegetables from farmers. It makes cooking 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 the 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. There are few places in Japan where you can enjoy both the sunrise over the sea and the sunset over 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 organized by the cafe "THE POP-UP" (https://thepopup.jp) on Miura Beach.
Doing yoga while listening to the sound of the waves is truly relaxing and makes for a fantastic weekend experience.
Activities are not limited to the sea. You can 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 "Miura Fuji."
It's really attractive to be able to leave your home and experience a variety of natural activities in the sea, mountains, and more within 15 minutes.
In order to prevent the natural environment of Miura from being destroyed, I belong to a volunteer group that mows grass and regularly cleans parks and the sea.
The other day, while cleaning up the ocean, I discovered a flower that can only be found on the Miura Peninsula. Many endangered plant species in the prefecture also live in Miura.
④Population density
As mentioned in the unfortunate section, Miura has poor transportation access, making it a convenient place to live, and as a result, the population continues to decline.
However, there is also an advantage to this. It is the population density. When you live in a city, you can get tired of being surrounded by people wherever you go. The population density of Miura City is 1,326 people/km2, which is less than one-sixth of that of Yokohama City (8,567 people/km2).
If you go for a walk or run early in the morning, you might not pass anyone. Even McDonald's is less crowded than in the city, and the McDonald's at Miura Beach has an ocean view. Please visit.
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 people have to interact closely with their neighbors, which makes life difficult."
But the wonderful thing is that this isn't the case with Miura.
Of course, there aren't as many people here as there are in the city, so you can afford to be "completely indifferent to your neighbors," but I think this helps prevent crime and curbs the selfish behavior of people.
Compared to living in the city, you are much less likely to be attacked by strangers, and you can live a stress-free life.
It's a great place to live comfortably, with relationships that are just right in between, without the ties of the countryside or the indifference of the city.
First, I would like you to come visit Miura a few times, and if you like it, then 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 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 that kind of flexible lifestyle.
It's great to be able to live in an environment that isn't too crowded, but Miura's population is aging too quickly and there aren't many young people. When I think about the future of Miura, I honestly want young people to move here more and more.
I run a public scrivener's office in Miura City, focusing on revitalizing the city (such as supporting new businesses), improving the lives of the people who live there (building a bridge with the government), and supporting relocation.
Please feel free to contact us below with any inquiries or questions about not only our administrative scrivener services but also about Miura!
Let's liven up Miura City together!
Administrative scrivener office NIJICO
SAM Tachibana
Inquiries: info@office-nijico.com
Home page: Here
