{"id":14853,"date":"2017-06-23T11:38:45","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T02:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=14853"},"modified":"2020-08-07T23:05:45","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T14:05:45","slug":"iwate-coast-jodogahama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/iwate-coast-jodogahama\/","title":{"rendered":"Jodogahama: A Visit to the Pristine Miyako Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"
As we drove along the coast\u00a0to Jodogahama Beach,\u00a0<\/strong>Iwate Prefecture<\/strong>,\u00a0I could catch glimpses of the ocean between the sparse patches of trees that lined the road. From a distance the sea always looks a uniform pale blue, stretching out to the horizon. Yet, upon closer inspection, you can see all of the hues and shades – reflecting and refracting the light – highlighting the depths and the shallows of the ocean. Sparkling sapphire and emerald, with\u00a0sea foam which is broken only by the whitecaps that line the waves.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n We pulled into the large\u00a0newly reconstructed Jodogahama<\/strong> parking area. Following the 2011 tsunami, the \u00a0tourist facilities around Jodogahama Beach<\/strong> were some of the first to be rebuilt. Less than a\u00a0kilometer away you can still see the temporary housing units for families who had lost their homes. The road is new and the surrounding area has been bulldozed and levelled – the machinery sitting idle on the lot.<\/p>\n From the parking lot we walked down a paved path which meandered its way along the coast line. This time the water was translucent, offering views of the seaweed and kelp dragging their way across the rocks in time with the tide.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The first tourist point we encountered was a concrete boat ramp. On the shore nearby, the\u00a0Jodogahama Marine House<\/strong>\u00a0offered food, ice cream, and several different boat tours<\/strong>. One of their tours take customers on a small sight-seeing trip\u00a0of the surrounding cliffs<\/strong>. Whilst another allows you to see\u00a0Hachinoheana<\/strong>, also known as the “Blue Cave<\/strong>“, which gives you the opportunity to explore the surrounding rocks up close (depending on wave and weather conditions). Within the Blue Cave there is a blow-hole, and it is said that if you see it erupt, it will bring you good luck.<\/p>\n This boat tour takes around 20 minutes and can fit 2-3 people. It costs 1,500 yen per person and operates from 08:30am to 5:00pm from March through November.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Another option, if you are keen to see the beach<\/strong> and surrounding coast<\/strong> from a different perspective, is to take the Rikuchu Maru Tour Boat<\/strong>. This tour takes you to see sights such as\u00a0Takonohama<\/strong>, Candle Rock<\/strong>, Shiofukiana<\/strong>, Anegasaki<\/strong>, and Hideshima Island<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This boat tour costs 1,220 yen per person, or 610 yen for children, and takes around 40 minutes. Reservations should be made in advance for groups of fifteen or more. The tours run from mid-March through early January.<\/p>\nFirst Impressions of Jodogahama<\/h2>\n
Boat Tours at Jodogahama<\/h2>\n