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SHIMODA |
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At Atami trains peel off down the east coast of Izu, cutting through
craggy headlands and high above bays ringed with fishing villages or
resort hotels. Nearly halfway down the peninsula, ITO port was where
Will Adams launched Japan's first Western-style sailing ships , but
there's nothing really to stop for until you reach SHIMODA . Off season,
this small, amiable town, with its attractive scenery and sprinkling of
temples and museums, makes a good base for a couple of days. Its sights
revolve around Shimoda's moment of glory, when Commodore Perry sailed
his Black Ships ( Kurofune ) into the harbour in 1854 and it became one
of Japan's first ports to open to foreign trade . Shimoda people are
immensely proud of their part in Japanese history and you'll find Black
Ships everywhere, from a replica outside the train station to a
customized tourist bus; there's even a Black Ships Festival around the
third Saturday in May), when American and Japanese naval bands parade
through the streets, followed by the inevitable fireworks.
Express trains, known as Odoriko-go (The Dancing Girl) after Kawabata's
novel , run direct from Tokyo Station to Shimoda several times a day.
However, some trains divide at Atami for Shuzenji, so check you're on
the right section, and note also that JR Passes are only valid for the
journey as far as Ito; beyond Ito it's a private line down to Shimoda.
The Town
Central Shimoda lies on the northwestern shore of a well-sheltered
harbour, surrounded by steep hills. Most of its sights are in the older,
southerly district, where you'll find a number of attractive grey-and-white
latticed walls near the original fishing harbour; this style of
architecture, found throughout Izu, is resistant to fire, earthquakes
and corrosive sea air. Your first stop should be Ryosen-ji , the temple
where Perry signed the Treaty of Friendship in May 1854. In fact, the
small but elaborate temple, founded in 1635, is less interesting than
its attached museum (daily 8.30am-5pm; ¥500), which is full of
fascinating historical documents from the 1850s. Delightful portraits of
Perry and his devilish crew, penned by Japanese artists, contrast with
the European view of Japan - embellished with Chinese touches - from
contemporary editions of the Illustrated London News . Many exhibits
relate to the tragic Okichi, the servant of Consul Harris , while a
second room downstairs contains an odd display of sex in religious art -
including some beautiful pieces from India, Nepal and Japan's Shinto
shrines.
From Ryosen-ji, Perry Road leads along a small river lined with
picturesque old houses and dancing willows, east to Shimoda-koen . This
extensive, hilltop park has good views over the town and harbour but
little else to recommend it outside the hydrangea season (June), when
over one million blooms colour the slopes. Instead, walk back past
Ryosen-ji to the nearby Zushu Shimoda Folk Museum (daily 8.30am-5.30pm;
¥1000), housed in two traditional, latticework buildings. Alongside
caricatures of big-nosed foreigners, Harris and Okichi are again much in
evidence: there's Harris's kimono, decorated with the American eagle,
and a portrait of a beautiful young woman which is commonly held to be
Okichi. But the museum also has more information, much of it in English,
about local life, including the area's distinctive architecture and its
festivals.
Heading north again, the last sight in central Shimoda is Okichi's
grave. When she died in 1890, none of her family came forward to claim
her body, so it was up to a local priest to bring her back to the family
temple for burial. She now lies behind the otherwise unremarkable Hofuku-ji
, where there's another small museum (daily 8am-5pm; ¥300) dedicated to
her memory. The exhibits are much the same, though this time it's the
original, sepia-tinted photo of Okichi on display alongside stills from
some of the many films made about her - one of them is usually running
on video.
The east side of Shimoda is dominated by a 200-metre-high peak called
Nesugata-yama . On a clear day it's worth taking the ropeway (daily
9am-5pm, departures every 10-15min; ¥1000 return ticket) from beside the
train station up to the summit for dramatic views of the harbour and out
to the Izu islands on the eastern horizon. Nesugata-yama's south face
drops steeply to the harbour, where there's a string of resort hotels
and a tourist wharf, from where a "Black Ship" makes short, expensive
harbour cruises (20min¥; 920).
On the far, eastern side of the bay, Gyokusen-ji is where Townsend
Harris established Japan's first American consulate in 1856 - it's a bit
of a hike but an interesting diversion if time allows. A monument in
front of the temple records Harris's misgivings, noted later in his
diary, as he raised the flag here at 2.30pm on September 4: "Grave
reflections. Ominous of change. Undoubted beginning of the end. Query, -
if for the real good of Japan?" Nearby, a black-stone slab scrawled with
US President Carter's signature commemorates his visit in 1979, while
across the courtyard there's a strange memorial donated by Tokyo
butchers; it supposedly marks where the first cow was slaughtered in
Japan for human consumption, at Harris's request.
Townsend Harris lived and worked in Gyokusen-ji for about fifteen
months, accompanied by his Dutch interpreter, Chinese servants and,
possibly, Okichi. On entering the Townsend Harris Memorial Hall (daily
8am-5pm; ¥300), to the right of the temple, you're greeted by a
startling, life-size model of Harris, complete with splendid handlebar
moustache, relaxing in his rocking chair in full evening dress while
Okichi proffers him a glass of milk. Other exhibits include a few of his
rather battered possessions, a host of memorial plaques and photos of
various visiting dignitaries, from Emperor Hirohito to Jimmy Carter. As
you leave, turn left immediately outside the hall and follow the path
uphill to find the graves of three Russians who died off Shimoda in 1854
when their ship was wrecked by a tidal wave. On the opposite side of the
temple, in the main part of the cemetery, five Americans are also
buried, including three of Perry's young sailors. To reach Gyokusen-ji,
take a bus from Shimoda Station to Kakizaki (4min; ¥160), from where
it's a two-minute walk; alternatively, it's a rather tedious hike along
the busy main road.
If you've got time to spare, a much more pleasant walk is to retrace
your steps to Shimoda-koen and follow the coast road south around the
headland. When you reach the aquarium - not really worth the hefty ¥1700
entry fee - walk through the car park, keeping the dolphin pools on your
left, and you'll come out on the next bay. A cycle track leads along a
quieter stretch of coast, with refreshingly little concrete in sight,
though not entirely unspoiled thanks to a large resort hotel, and then
take a right turn when you meet the road to emerge again at Perry Road.
The whole circuit takes roughly one hour.
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