Due to living in Tokyo (a poor excuse, I know) I’m not a very seasoned driver, but recently whenever I visit areas around Japan I always try to make time to go on a little road trip by myself. Most recently, I traveled from Kesennuma to Osaki located on the far end of Karakuwa Peninsula.

This area is a part of Sanriku Geopark (https://sanriku-geo.com/) covering around 300 km of the coast which stretches from Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture through Iwate Prefecture and down to Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture. It is a mecca for hikers, including those who wish to conquer the route solely on foot. With “tsunami rocks” (huge boulders dragged up from the ocean during a past tsunami) as well as areas where you can see geological strata which date back to over 200 million five thousand years ago, the coast is full of incredible sights which overshadow human history. There were barely any people around when I went which further heightened how small it made me feel.

Strong winds and the battering waves which sound almost like the rumblings of an earthquake. My silent car. When I came back from this road trip, I felt this odd sense of achievement, as if I’d just returned safely from the twilight zone.