Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture
To Takeshima Island A segment of summer mandarin by the sea
In a floral dress, I stepped onto the park’s brick path. Happy to find mandarins even in summer, I tasted just one segment before crossing the bridge.
Read about a July seaside snack and the pleasure of walking around Takeshima.
SummerA July morning
A segment of summer mandarin by the sea
I was peeling a mandarin by the sea in summer. July in Gamagori, on the brick path at Takeshima Park. It was a greenhouse-grown mandarin, and being able to enjoy a fruit I usually ate in winter in front of this view made me happy.
The sea breeze moved the hem of my floral dress slightly. As I lifted a segment, I could see the long bridge beyond it. At its far end was a rounded island covered in trees. Just looking and knowing I could walk to that island in the sea made me eager to go.
When I ate a segment, its juice filled my mouth. The membrane was soft, and I wanted the next one straight away. The bridge, the mandarin, then the sea again. I’d intended to hurry onwards, but I’d grown very fond of this snack break.
The bridge to Takeshima is 387 m long. It looked long from this end, but a walk would take me all the way to the island. I wrapped up the remaining mandarin and headed towards it. Once I started walking, the sea I’d watched from the park came closer.
The island has Yaotomi Shrine, and the whole island is designated a National Natural Monument. Learning that it supports a distinctive plant community despite being so close to the mainland made me even more eager to see the trees after crossing.
After exploring the island, I came back to the park and looked at the bridge again. Before going, it had been a long bridge; now it looked like a path I’d walked myself. Remembering the mandarin’s sweetness and the sea breeze, I felt even the rest before starting the walk had become an important part of today’s trip.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local specialty
Gamagori greenhouse-grown mandarins
Greenhouse-grown mandarins available from mid-April to late September. Their sweetness, balanced acidity and soft segment membranes are part of their appeal. The segment I ate while looking at the summer sea left a particularly strong memory.
Highlights
An island in Mikawa Bay reached on foot
Takeshima is a symbol of Gamagori and a designated National Natural Monument. Hearing that its plant community is distinctive despite the nearby mainland made me look forward to walking around it.
Exploring the island’s shrines
The island has 4 shrines in addition to Yaotomi Shrine. After looking at the bridge and sea, I also liked the time spent walking among the trees to visit them.
Road details
Takeshima Bridge (pedestrian bridge)
- Length
- 387m
You can walk from the Takeshima Park side across to the island.
Even after arriving by car, crossing the bridge is a journey on foot. Moving through the sea breeze lets you enjoy the time spent drawing closer to the island too.
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