Shimoda offers intriguing past,
seaside beauty on Japan’s Izu Peninsula
By Rick Chernitzer,
Stars and Stripes
Rick Chernitzer / Stars and Stripes
The graves of sailors and Marines from Perry's fleet who died on the way to Shimoda are
interred at Gyokusenji Temple. The anchor was donated to the temple by Yokosuka Naval Base
in honor of the fallen. |
It’s hard to imagine the quiet little fishing town of Shimoda as
the place where Commodore Matthew Perry opened the stubborn doors of the Far East to the
West.
A few hours from Tokyo and the U.S. military bases of the Kanto
Plain, the town rests on the southeastern half of the Izu Peninsula. The peninsula is
noted for the many hot springs and spas that dot the area.
Shimoda retains the charm of the spa towns, offering a park, a
breathtaking seashore, a floating aquarium, and Ryosenji and Hofukuji temples, later
associated with the American Kurofune (“Black Ships”) of Commodore Perry.
Townsend Harris, an American consul during the period, lived for 18
months at Gyokusenji Temple. He raised the first American flag in Japan at this site on
Sept. 4, 1856. Near the north side of the temple are five graves for U.S. sailors and
Marines from Perry’s fleet that perished while en route to Shimoda.
Then-President Jimmy Carter made a trip to Shimoda in June 1979.
A sign placed at the temple at the time of his visit welcoming him
remains in place, carefully preserved. There are dozens of photos of Carter and his family
meeting local citizens.
Rick Chernitzer / Stars and Stripes
Cape Iro offers a breath-taking, unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. |
There is a monument and a museum dedicated to Harris, and the
somewhat morbid Butchered-cow Tree, commemorating the spot where the first animal was
slaughtered to become food for the strange visitor. This incident caused great
consternation among the primarily vegetarian Japanese. Local farmers feared for their
cattle, used mainly as work animals, and began to hide them lest they became food for the
obviously uncivilized, hairy barbarians.
Despite such tensions between Japan and the United States in those
early days, the city appears to be quite proud of its American past. Much of the
city’s “history walk” is devoted to where famous Americans slept, events
during the negotiations to open Japan, and monuments to Perry and Harris.
Ryosenji Temple, near the center of town, is where Japanese and
American diplomats signed the 13 articles of the Shimoda Treaty on May 25, 1854. The
treaty also became part of a larger U.S.-Japan agreement, known as the Kanagawa Treaty,
establishing consulates in Shimoda and in the port of Hakodate in northern Japan.
The temple eventually became a guesthouse for visiting American
dignitaries.
Perhaps the saddest story to come out of the opening of the consulate
here is the tale of Okichi-san. Legend holds that Okichi, born in Shimoda in 1841, was 17
when consulate Harris saw her leaving a bathhouse. Negotiations between American and
Japanese officials were not going well at the time, and Japanese government officials
believed that if Okichi were made Harris’ mistress, the negotiations would go better.
They began to pressure Okichi, but one of the reasons she resisted was she was in love
with a man named Tsurumatsu, a ship’s carpenter. The officials offered to make
Tsurumatsu a samurai if he would “step aside.”
Rick Chernitzer / Stars and Stripes
A worker cares for one of the sea creatures in the Perry Aquarium. |
Finally, after much pressure, Okichi agreed. She lived with Harris
for a time, but after he left Japan, the people of Shimoda shunned her, calling her
“Tojin Okichi” (Barbarian Okichi). She committed suicide in 1892 at the age of
51 by drowning herself near Shimoda.
According to historians, however, much of the story is not true.
Okichi, along with another young woman, was a housekeeper for Harris for a short time. The
rest of the story was developed by local gossips and has been kept alive in museums and
temples in Shimoda.
A shrine at Hofukuji Temple is dedicated to her “great service
to the people of Japan,” displaying fine silk paintings depicting the story and a
haunting photograph of Okichi-san, or more likely, an actress, cradling an American flag.
A narrative of the tale plays continuously as people rummage the
artifacts of her broken life. The staff will play an English version of the narrative on
request.
May is a big month in Shimoda. That’s when the town observes
“Kurofune Matsuri,” the annual “Black Ship Festival,” to honor that
fateful day when Perry landed at Shimoda.
The main shopping thoroughfare in Shimoda is the Perry Road. Lined
with willow trees, the road hosts many eateries, small gift shops and the like. Parts of
the road are for pedestrian and bicycle traffic only. A small stream snakes alongside,
keeping pace with the twists and turns of the Perry Road. Small walking bridges jut out
every 20 yards or so, connecting shopkeepers with the passing public.
Rick Chernitzer / Stars and Stripes
Shirahama Beach near Shimoda, with its surf and warm sands, is a popular destination for
Japanese sun lovers. |
For a scenic view of Shimoda, take a quick trip up a ropeway tram to
Mount Nesugata and Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The tram runs every 15 minutes from the
ground station, across the street from the train station, to the top of Nesugata. A round
trip costs 1,200 yen. The park has several walking trails that are easy to negotiate.
The Shimoda Floating Aquarium is a bit overpriced for what you get,
but if you’re bringing the kids, it can be worth the money. There are opportunities
to feed dolphins, interact with the sea life, and simply watch countless species of fish
mill about a gigantic aquarium named after the commodore.
A little farther away
Not far from Shimoda are several smaller destinations, resorts
mainly, but a trip to the area wouldn’t be complete without a swing through them.
Minami-Izu is a resort town to be sure, and one primarily used by
Japanese. The town is known for its hot springs, and there are plenty around. For as
little as $10, visitors can get cozy in the rising steam for a few hours.
Yumigahama Beach, near Minami-Izu, is sparkling, clean and quiet.
Young families and small groups of teen-agers occupy prime spots for bathing in the sun.
Rocky cliffs held the promise of a spectacular view for those who want to risk climbing
them to see. This beach, and nearby Sotoura and Shirahama beaches, all reach out to Sagami
Bay.
Rick Chernitzer / Stars and Stripes
The Perry Aquarium inside the Shimoda Floating Aquarium circles around a collection of sea
life for visitors to view. |
Shimogamo Tropical Garden takes visitors on a tour of the local flora
and fauna. Pineapples the size of a human fist grow alongside plum plants and cactus. Be
careful not to spend too much time smelling the flowers; tour guides usher people along to
keep the surprisingly large groups flowing smoothly.
While there are plenty of Japanese-style hotels, there are also more
than a few youth hostels in the area. At the Gensu Youth Hostel, the innkeeper smiles
politely at one guest while checking him out of his room.
“I was sailor in Imperial Navy,” he proclaimed, the pride
of those past days not lost in his words. “I trained at Yokosuka many years ago. I
learned about engines on ships.”
At 76, he certainly didn’t look anything close to his age. When
complimented on his English, he grins again and tells of a year he spent living in the
States in New Jersey. He also admits that he spent a year living in Israel and to prove
it, breaks into a near-perfect rendition of “Shalom Alachem,” a traditional
Israeli tune. His Hebrew is flawless.
Not more than a half-hour’s drive from Minami-Izu is Cape Iro,
on the very southernmost point of the Izu Peninsula, looking out into the Pacific Ocean.
Irozaki Lighthouse, no longer in use, stands as the only visible monument from a distance.
Venturing down a stone walkway toward it, one discovers many buildings, also now
abandoned, where the remains of Buddhist temples still breathe in the salty sea air. On a
particular sunny afternoon, throngs of tourists are tracing ancient steps to a lone
summit, outlined with a rusting metal fence and housing a small shrine that faces the
horizon line where the blue sea meets the sky.
Rick Chernitzer / Stars and Stripes
Visitors to the Shimoda Floating Aquarium can get close enough to feed and pet dolphins. |
Not far from the lighthouse is Irozaki Jungle Park, a tropical garden
made up of five greenhouses. There are more than 3,000 species of tropical plant life
placed in a beautiful arrangement.
Shimoda and the lower eastern half of the Izu Peninsula are more than
the usual tourist destinations. The area has so much to offer visitors, with friendly and
knowledgeable folks, that maybe a trip back into the roots of the U.S./Japan relationship
would be a history lesson worth discovering.
If you go
Like most destinations in Japan, it’s often best to take a
train. A number of lines, originating from Tokyo Station, will get you to Shimoda and the
surrounding areas. Japan Railways offers a limited express “Odoriko” or
“Super View Odoriko” (the latter has windows running the length of the car so
passengers get a panoramic view of the coast as the train snakes its way south on the Izu
Peninsula). This direct route takes almost three hours and runs 6,460 yen for the
“Super View,” 6,160 yen for the regular train. Those with a little more time
than money could take the same trains to Ito, then switch railway lines to the Izu-Kyuko
Railway to reach Shimoda. The savings are marginal, however — about $10 — and it
could add a half-hour to your travel time.
To go by car, take the Tomei Expressway and head for the Atsugi exit
(Exit 5). Follow the signs to Odawara, and then to Atami. From Atami, follow the signs to
Ito and Shimoda. You’ll be on route 135 from Odawara to Shimoda. At Shimoda, 135 ends
and becomes 136, which can take you up the other side of the peninsula for a scenic trip
back to the Kanto Plain. The drive is about three hours.
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