The rocks came into view beyond the branches An early-April walk along the coast at Manazuru Cape

On a sunny morning in early April, I walked down to the coast at Manazuru Cape. I wore a pale purple cardigan over a white top, with a light mint skirt. Holding the strap of my little bag, I followed the path between the trees. Where the leaves spread overhead, their shadows fell across the ground, too. I wanted to keep going until I could see the sea.

Mitsuishi appeared beyond the branches, and I stopped in my tracks. Each rock rising from the sea had its own shape. The one on the left was narrow and tall; the one on the right was broader. I leaned in a little to get a better look at the space between the two taller rocks. I'd known them by name from photos, and now they were right in front of me.

A wave rolled up to the rocks in front of me and spread out in white foam. I'd been studying their shapes, but all around them the sea kept moving. As the foam receded, the rocks' little ridges and dips came back into view. I waited for the waves to come in a few more times from the same spot. I'd only paused along the way, yet there was more and more I wanted to see.

A little farther along the path, the branches framed Mitsuishi differently. I liked the open views where the sea filled the frame, and I liked seeing it through the leaves, too. I doubled back to a spot that had caught my eye and took another look at the rocks. With so many trees around the cape, my walk by the sea seemed to flow right into a walk through the woods.

After my morning walk, I'd love to try Manazuru's magocha-zuke. It's a fishermen's dish: horse mackerel with seasonings over rice, then topped with hot tea. Thinking about the sea I'd just been watching made me look forward to the next meal all the more. I took one last look at Mitsuishi, then headed back the way I'd come. I was so glad I'd made the walk out to the cape.