Cape Chikyu A pudding break before the sea beyond the steps

My driving friend and I reached the car park at Cape Chikyu on a sunny August morning. I parked and looked up: a broad flight of steps climbed between stone retaining walls. Beyond them stood a white building, surrounded by trees. We couldn't see the sea from here yet, so I was curious about the view waiting at the top.

Before heading up, I decided to eat the chilled Muroran quail egg pudding I'd brought with me. In a pink dress and white sneakers, I stood by the car and opened the jar. I scooped up a spoonful of soft pudding and took my time savouring its egg and cream flavours. Then I laughed and told my friend, “The steps can wait.”

It's a local specialty made with Muroran quail eggs, and I'd been looking forward to the melt-in-your-mouth texture the maker describes. There's something lovely about trying a food you already know by name while visiting its hometown. The jar may be small, but it still makes for a sweet little break. Rather than rushing off on foot the moment I got out of the car, this felt like just the right way to start the day.

Once I'd finished and put the jar away, I was ready to see the broad Pacific horizon beyond the steps. Cape Chikyu sits at the southern tip of the Etomo Peninsula, where cliffs rise about 100m. I was also looking forward to seeing the view change little by little on the way up the steps toward the sea. We chatted as we made our way to a spot with a better view.

The lookout is 130m above sea level. Once I turned toward the sea, I wanted to trace the distant horizon from one end to the other. The white lighthouse at Cape Chikyu was first lit in 1920, and it's been watching over these waters for a long time. Apart from the white building at the entrance, I could see the lighthouse with the sea behind it. At last, the view I'd pictured when I first heard the cape's name was right there in front of me.

The morning began with a spoonful of pudding, then a climb up the steps and a long look out to sea. When my friend said, “We'll remember both the taste of the town and the view from the cape,” I knew exactly what she meant. By the time we got back to the car park, even the steps we'd seen on arrival felt like part of the day's scenery. If I were taking it slow in Muroran, this is how I'd want to spend a morning at Cape Chikyu.