A Summer Break by the Sea on Pearl Road A Taste of Toba in Every Cup

One July afternoon, I stopped at Toba Observatory along Pearl Road. I parked in one of the spaces marked with white lines and walked over to the brick plaza. Beyond a wooden bench, the sea came into view through a gap in the trees. A breeze brushed my cheeks as I walked under the blue sky, and I decided this was the perfect place to take a break.

At Ama no Terrace, I chose the green-laver frappé. The pale green of the frappé showed through beneath the white cream. I adjusted my grip so my white blouse sleeve wouldn’t touch the cup, then picked up a spoon. I knew green laver from miso soup, but I’d never seen it dressed up like dessert. Before taking a bite, I found myself staring at the cup.

The cold milk and cream tasted sweet at first; then the green-laver flavor lingered. I decided to try mixing in a little of the chocolate sauce next. I’d never thought seaweed could go with something sweet, but I wanted another spoonful. As I set my spoon down, I realized I was grinning.

My friend joined me in the plaza and peered into my cup. “What does it taste like?” she asked. “It’s sweet, but you can still taste the green laver,” I said—and then I realized how strange that sounded. I kept a hand on my mint-green skirt as I moved over to the bench. My friend looked out at the sea while I took one more bite. One break gave me both: the sea view and the treat I’d been curious about.

By the time I’d finished my frappé, I looked out at the sea beyond the trees again. Before driving on to the next stop, I wanted to walk around Hakodayama Park, too. My friend and I decided to stay a little longer. I was glad the stop at the lookout wasn’t just a quick photo before driving on. Once I’m home, I think remembering that sea view will bring back the taste of that first spoonful too.