Cape Erimo Hold your jacket closed and feel the morning wind at the cape

My driving friend and I reached Cape Erimo one August morning. As soon as I parked and stepped out, the wind hit my jacket. I held it closed with both hands and looked toward the grassy hill beyond the car park. The air along the road had felt different from the wind here at the cape. It was as if my body knew we’d arrived before I did.

At the far end of the car park, beyond the white parking lines, stood a lattice-frame weather observation tower. The grassy hill wasn’t a high mountain; it sloped gently beneath the open sky. My windproof jacket over my purple hoodie felt just right here. My friend looked up at the sky too and said, “The breeze feels lovely, even in summer.”

I paused for a moment by the car, then walked toward the tip of the cape. I wanted to see the reefs stretching in a line toward the sea. Here, the Hidaka Mountains descend and continue out toward the Pacific from Cape Erimo. Thinking of the mountains’ journey ending here, where they meet the sea, makes my mind wander farther than it would if I were simply looking at the water.

The reefs are said to stretch about 2km offshore. Rather than looking at just one rock, I wanted to follow the line stretching farther out. My friend and I faced the same way and watched the waves for a while. Photos could never have told me what the wind sounded like; I want to remember that sound along with today’s view.

At Kaze no Yakata, you can experience wind blowing at 25m/s. After holding my jacket closed outside, I could see the appeal of a place where you can enjoy the wind itself. I’m curious about spending some time inside, scanning for harbour seals through the telescope, too. That would add the fun of looking for wildlife to a morning spent gazing out to sea.

I’m curious about Erimo’s Tōdai tsubu, a local whelk with a chewy bite. I’d love to have some after walking around the cape. On the way back, my friend and I talked about food, and I realized I’d grown a little more used to the wind. We’d seen the sky and sea, taken a walk, and worked up an appetite. I was glad we’d spent the morning making our way out here.