Amaharashi Coast Snow-Covered Tateyama Range beyond Onna-iwa Rock

I reached Amaharashi Coast while the morning air was still cold. I parked my red car in the car park at Roadside Station Amaharashi and turned towards the sea. Beyond Onna-iwa Rock, the snow-covered Tateyama Range stretched on and on. I caught my breath. I couldn’t believe a view like this was waiting beyond the sea.

As the waves shifted across Toyama Bay, I began to sense just how far the mountains were. There was a rock close by, and the huge Tateyama Range far away. The view had more depth than it did in the photos, and I hardly knew where to look first.

When the wind hit me, I instinctively wrapped both arms around myself. I curled my fingers in and hunched my shoulders, but my eyes stayed on the snowy peaks. I could feel the cold all right, but I still couldn’t bring myself to go back to the car.

I glanced at my red car and was glad I’d put the roof up. I’d planned to warm up inside, but my eyes went straight back to the sea. I was trying to find a reason to head back to the car, but kept spotting more things I wanted to look at. At this rate, I wasn’t getting back any time soon.

A thin mist hung just above the water. It wasn’t thick enough to hide the mountains; it drifted slowly over the waves. Onna-iwa Rock appeared beyond the mist. I stayed there with my arms wrapped around myself, watching the view shift little by little.

I kept telling myself, “Just a little longer,” until I finally went back to the car. Even after I sat down, that line of mountains was still in my mind. The joy of seeing it with my own eyes was far stronger than the sleepiness I’d felt when I got up so early.