Sada Misaki Lighthouse A little snack after walking to the cape

In late March, I walked the trail to Sada Misaki Lighthouse. The path winds between the trees, with slopes and steps along the way, and the cape felt longer on foot than it had from the car. I made my way along, step by step, in my floral dress and light jacket. When the trees opened onto a wide view of the sea, I wanted to pause and take in the fact that I’d made it all the way here.

After visiting the white lighthouse, I made my way over to a seaside rest spot nearby. The sea stretches out from here, with a low strip of land in the distance. I stepped inside the railings and looked out to the horizon first. Knowing I’d reached Shikoku’s westernmost point made me wonder more than usual what lay beyond the sea.

I took one of the citrus fruits from the paper bag. I cradled the round fruit in my left hand and peeled it a little at a time with my right. The scent grew stronger as the peel came away, and watching my hands as I peeled was fun, too. Ikata Town is known for citrus, so I’d brought some along as a snack for the walk. Peeling it myself felt just right for a moment by the sea.

One segment filled my mouth with juice. The sweetness tasted especially good after the walk, and I wanted another one right away. But a flash of light on the sea caught my eye, and I paused. If I kept looking back and forth between my hands and the horizon, I might take all day to finish. Today, I decided, that was part of the fun.

The wind tugged at my sleeve, and the grass ahead of me swayed. I remembered that this lighthouse began shining in April of Taishō 7 to guide ships through the Bungo Channel. Looking out across all that sea helped me understand why there’s a lighthouse here. I came for the view; to someone crossing the sea, this same lighthouse must look different.

I tucked the peel into the paper bag and took one last look across the water. I’d come with only the lighthouse in mind, but even this little citrus break is going to stay with me. Once I’m back at the car, where should I stop next along the peninsula? I kept thinking about that spring evening on the way back, when I’d made time for both a walk and a snack.