An old friend in New York once told me that I was a beach girl thru and thru. He said that I am at my best when I am by the sea. And he was right.
There is something so calming, so therapeutic about the waves crashing and the sand, cold in spots and burning hot in others.
In Japan, I am just beginning my exploration of the beaches and of what I hope will be another new love affair in the making. My first port-of-call was Shimoda.
Shimoda is located on the southeastern tip of the Izu peninsula and is popular for many reasons, not in the least as the location of the 1858 signing of U.S.-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
I had been told about this beach spot by friends and locals alike as a must-visit and had read about it as being a famous hangout of the rich and famous Tokyo-set.
In actuality, I didn’t choose Shimoda for any of those reasons.
For me, it was the simple fact that it is lovingly referred to as the Hamptons for Tokyo-ites.
As an ex-New Yorker, Hamptons-lover and genuine beach aficionada, I was in!
We rented an amazing house, directly on Ohama Beach, a lucky airbnb find. The house was home to our extended family for a handful of days.
Our welcome to Shimoda was the lovely Kamei, who very kindly showed us where to park our car and fetch the house keys. He wasn’t even related to the house at all. He simply worked next door and noticed us flapping around!
Over the course of our blissful stay in Shimoda, we began to develop a real crush on him.
Each morning, Kamei would offer us local-grown peaches or tomatoes. Seriously the produce was so fresh, it was like eating summer. He would give us a prognosis on the waves and the weather and walk out on the beach with us, enjoying an easy chat.
His genuine kindness, we would learn, is the very pulse of Shimoda.
Kamei was our introduction to the vibe that is Shimoda. It is down-to-earth. It is chilled and it is inclusive. Everyone greeted us (which, being from Switzerland, we are super used to and actually miss living in a big city!) from shopkeepers to the parking attendants. It felt like we were a part of the community – totally welcome.
Everything was a bit slower – which is, of course, exactly what you want and expect at the beach.
We ate local
Our house had a fab kitchen and the local produce was so nice, we tended to live on fruits and veggies during the day. We indulged in the goodies Kamei brought us and I spent many hours walking, admiring the local produce stands and bringing back loads of delicious treats.
We had a couple lovely lunches at the Ernest House. What a sweet, chilled and perfectly beachy joint.
In the evenings, we spent most dinners at the White Beach Hotel, a stones throw away from our front door. With such a welcoming staff and a laid-back atmosphere, we could easily take the children and enjoy a slow meal at the end of the evening. Perhaps it was a bit lazy of us, but it was so easy and so enjoyable, we just never ventured further.
And none of us felt that we were missing anything.
We Chilled
Despite rougher-than-usual waters and the fact that you were not allowed to swim, we spent every day at the beach. And, as beaches go, Ohama beach is quite a lovely one. It is small, not over-crowded and is home to some seriously serious lifeguards. As an ex-lifeguard myself, I can tell you that you are in good hands.
What I love about any beach around the world is people watching. Shimoda is fabulous for this.
For me, each beach has its own recipe for watching the world go by….
- South Beach – chilling at an Ocean Drive café
- Las Salinas – a sun bed and bubbly
- Camps Bay – a bit of sport, a bit of lunch
- Shelter Island – a table and some rosé
- Mar del Plata – craps and sunshine
What made Ohama Beach special to me was the ultra-cool vibe. Everyone was relaxed, even the dogs and the babies!
No one had any other place that they needed to be. It is a really good feeling to be just where you are.
Yet, within the tranquility, there was action.
Everyone and their dog was surfing. I am not sure if that is the Hawaiian inspiration or just the fact that the waves are good, but it is a serious hang-ten community.
Johan played football up and down the beach with the children. I am not sure if the sun seekers were amused or annoyed, but they sweetly threw the ball back each time we made an errant kick.
Lulu and I peppered the volleyball around and around. Friso joined when he wasn’t building massive sandcastles and Cleo simply scoured each meter of the beach for shells. And, just like her mother, she lovingly washed her finds off and carried them home with her, a memento of the sunshiny holiday.
We Got In Touch
With Nature and Ourselves
The landscape of Shizuoka is stunning. A run along-side the beach took me up steep hills, past a natural sand “ski-slope”, thru forests and along side local baseball and football teams drilling in the early-morning haze.
There were so many flowers and crops along the path, I wasn’t sure anymore if I was exercising or on a nature walk, taking pictures and picking flowers. But, I felt so good after each jaunt. The energy of Shimoda, the water, the nature.
Funnily enough, before we left for Shimoda, I remembered something a good friend had told me. Each time she goes on a family holiday, on the first night, she spills a huge jigsaw puzzle onto the coffee table. During the course of the holiday, different constellations of the family gather around that puzzle and stick some pieces together.
I am not sure why I did it, as my husband said it was a bit foolish, but I packed a 1’000 piece puzzle in the car with us.
Do you know? My friend was wise. That puzzle was the mess that centred our large family over those beach days. Many conversations and thoughts were shared over that table.
We Will Return
We never knew exactly why Kamei was so kind to us. But I like to believe that it is the charm of Shimoda.
For the inside scoop, or just a little local knowledge, get in touch with David Nix (“Nixy”).
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