Cape Nyudozaki The Sea of Japan and a black-and-white lighthouse beyond the grassland

When I got out of the car at the Cape Nyudozaki car park, the black-and-white lighthouse stood beyond the grass. To its left, the sea stretched into the distance. As soon as I started walking, it hit me: I’d made it all the way to the tip of the peninsula. The breeze tugged at the sleeves of my pale pink shirt, and I held my hair down with one hand.

It was a sunny afternoon in August. With the lighthouse as my landmark, I could see the Sea of Japan from the path skirting the grassland. My friend was already taking in the view, but I kept getting distracted by the ice cream in my hand. It was shaped like yellow and pink petals, so pretty I wanted to admire it before digging in.

Baba Hera, a local favorite in Oga, is ice cream scooped onto a cone with a spatula. I love finding one while I’m traveling; it feels like a little taste of the place. I stopped beside the path and took a bite from the edge. The cold was such a treat that I wanted another bite before I’d even looked out at the sea.

My friend pointed across the grassland. “Maybe we can get a photo with the lighthouse over here,” she said. I looked up at it, ice cream still in hand. Its black-and-white stripes stood out clearly, easy to pick out even against that wide-open view. Once the lighthouse was in view too, I wanted a completely different photo from the one I’d take of the distant sea alone.

Once I learned that the 40th parallel north runs through this cape, I pictured the shape of the Oga Peninsula I’d seen on the map. I love that this wide grassland waits at the end of the road I drove. My friend and I walked for a while, looking from the grass at our feet to the waves and back. I wanted to leave any talk of our next stop for later.

Even after I’d finished my ice cream, I didn’t feel ready to head back to the car. I took one more look toward the lighthouse and let the sea breeze brush my cheek. The drive to the cape is only part of the fun; getting out to walk is part of it, too. It was my turn to drive on the way back. I checked the road ahead and set off for the next stretch through Oga.