Winter at Shionomisaki: Peel a Ponkan, Then Head for the Horizon An Afternoon Walk across the Grassland at Honshu’s Southernmost Tip, Starting at the Tower

One January afternoon, my friend and I pulled into the car park at Shionomisaki. I got out, put on my coat and took out the ponkan we’d bought in Kushimoto. Beside the red car, I pressed my thumb into the peel, and the citrus scent drifted up. My friend immediately leaned over to peek into the bag.

The first segment was sweet, with a hint of tartness at the end. I was wearing a pink knit dress, a cream coat, tights and trainers. I tugged at my coat sleeve as I peeled another segment. This little break felt just right after a long afternoon on the road.

When I looked up from peeling, the white cylindrical tower stood beyond the grass. A long, low building ran alongside it, making the open space in front of me feel even wider. “Shall we walk across that grass first?” I asked my friend. After putting the peel away, I headed towards the sea.

Boro-no-Shiba is a grassy open space of around 100,000 m². Once I learned a naval watchtower had stood here, the name “Boro-no-Shiba” (“Watchtower Grassland”) made sense. I crossed the broad grassland and looked out over the Pacific. The horizon curved gently, and it felt as if a mark at the edge of the map had become the view right in front of me.

I wanted to see the view from a little higher up, so we went up the Shionomisaki Tourist Tower. The observation deck is 100 m above sea level, with a 360-degree view of the grassland and the sea. We spotted the place where we’d been standing earlier and pointed it out to each other. The grassland looked so huge from up there that I laughed in surprise.

Back at the car, there were still some ponkan in the bag. I think I’ll save another one for our next break. On the way back, I drove along Prefectural Route 41, keeping my eyes on the road. After taking in that vast sea, I was already looking forward to the next sweet ponkan. It made for a lovely winter afternoon.