Sachiki-san and I went for a walk at Namiita
Beach in Otsuchi Town.
Namiita beach is known for its Katayosenami
waves. According to the Otsuchi Town Tourism Exchange Association, "it is
said that the waves are absorbed by the coarse sand, resulting in no return
waves. However, it is also thought that other factors play a significant role,
such as the shallow seabed topography, currents within the bay, and the
wavelength of the incoming waves, as the return waves remain small even after
the sandy beach disappeared by the Great East Japan Earthquake and
Tsunami."
I have been to this beach many times since I
was a child. Before the Great East Japan Earthquake, this was a beautiful beach
with a beautiful contrast between green pine wood, white sandy beach, and blue
sea. However, the pine wood and sandy beach disappeared due
to the tsunami and land subsidence caused by the earthquake.
The current Namiita beach has seen its sandy
beach restored through regeneration works, and the pine trees, which were
reportedly about 30cm tall when planted, have grown considerably.
Near the coast, there is a surf shop and such. Namiita
Beach is one of the best surfing beaches the Tohoku region.
A little way from the beach, there is a
monument inscribed with a poem by Kenji Miyazawa in a parking area along the
national highway.
