Blown Away at the Kuniga Coastline

What?
The Kuniga coast (国賀海岸) is a rolling coastline that was shaped in peculiar shapes and forms due to the continuous battering of the sea. The most famous points are the Matengai Cliff (摩天崖), rising a straight 257 meters out of the ocean and the beautiful Tsutenkyo Arch (通天橋) where the different volcanic layers are visible even to a blind man. The whole coastline is a grassy green oasis where horses and cows enjoy grazing. The Akao (赤尾展望所) and Onimai (鬼舞展望所) lookouts present stunning views of not only the Kuniga coastline, but also the inner sea between the three Dozen Islands (島前).
Where?
The Kuniga Coast is westernmost coastline of Nishinoshima Island (西ノ島), one of the three Dozen Islands that are part of Shimane Prefecture (島根県). To get there you have various options that all start at Beppu Port (別府港). Either you rent a bicycle like I did, but you can also rent a car. Tour buses operate twice a day and let you decide whether you get back on the bus to go back or keep on walking. Road buses are irregular and don’t serve the 2 lookout points, but it stops at the Tsutenkyo Arch from where you can walk to the Matengai Cliff and back.
URL
Nishinoshima Tourist Association

I had been planning my trip to Nishinoshima for quite a while now, but an upcoming typhoon seemed to be literally drowning my vacation. But I wasn’t going to let it, oh no! After being lucky enough to go fishing and kayaking before the typhoon really hit, I decided to just go trekking today, regardless of the weather.
It was a great decision.

In order not to lose too much time on concrete roads I went to the tourist office at 8:30 sharp to get an electric bicycle. Given the rolling landscape that was a way better choice than the usual “mama-chari”, the type of no-gear-bike-with-basket that literally everyone in Japan uses. I immediately set foot (or pedal) to Matengai Cliff. The winds almost blew away every 5 steps, but there was no rain to bother me, and due to the typhoon I had the whole coastline to myself – apart from a local tour bus that passed me by when I was pedaling like crazy, I did not see anyone for a whole day.
Just like in all pictures, the sight of the Kuniga coast is beautiful. What those pictures nor the brochures say though, is that this whole coastline is a pasture, so apart from keeping your eyes open for the extraordinary scenery, you should also keep your eyes to the ground, because more than anything else there is manure on this island! But that shouldn’t bother anyone. The whole walk from Mategai down to the Tsutenkyo Arch was breathtaking, not in the least thanks to the cattle that obediently posed as model. To return to my bike I had to climb back up the way I came from, and although I must have already taken 100 pictures, I took the same scenes again just because I had a blue stripe of air as a background. In hindsight it would be more logical to get to Tsutenkyo first, place your bike over there and go up and down. That way you won’t have to go up the hill twice. I didn’t regret my bike ride up though: there’s a whole other view of the opposite side of the island to enjoy. And stubborn cattle blocking your way!

After spending around 3 hours enjoying the view and complete privacy, I took my bicycle for the next stop along the way; the Akao lookout. The way to the lookout was quite tiresome even with an electrical bicycle, but once arrived I rejoiced that yet again I was the only human being here. There wasn’t even any horse or cow in the neighborhood. Even the cattle was smart enough to stay away from this point that was so exposed to the elements of nature. The gusts of wind kept hitting me with all their might making me stop every few steps to avoid being blown away. I had already put away my hat and glasses long ago because both had already hit the ground once. Almost every picture I took was taken with the auto function because I needed every bit of concentration to keep my camera straight and from taking a deep dive into the ocean. Nonetheless the views from this spot were again absolutely awesome. I took half an hour just to sit myself down and look. Just look and enjoy the view, enjoy the rainless day, enjoy the wind that I found quite pleasant despite its brute force.

The Matengai Cliff is impressive from whatever angle.

Cattle posing willingly facing the strong winds.

Cattle generously sharing some of their innermost feelings.

The previous day I crossed that arch in a kayak.

The sky was getting darker and the winds even stronger. For a moment I was thinking to go back, but I decided to push on to my last objective, the Onimai lookout. While the ride to Akao lookout was pretty tiresome I enjoyed the ride to Onimai very much. The Onimai Skyline as the route is called, has a great view to both the ocean as the inner sea, so I stopped every time to take in the great vistas (and also to stop for cows taking a break in the middle of the road). The Onimai lookout is located just before another patch of wide pasture with another lookout pavilion a little higher up. While the actual Onimai lookout has some great views of the coastline on the Japanese Sea side, this different spot gives you a view of all three Dozen Islands. These islands are actually part of the same volcano of which the crater is below sea level. So standing at the lookout point I could clearly imagine me standing on top of a huge volcano with the other islands just being the ridge of the crater. Impressive to say the least. Again I sat myself down to take in this spectacular side. And also because I was tired of all the cycling and walking, but most of all because of going against the wind all the time.
I almost fell asleep when I heard regular honking. As there were no roads I thought it might have been a ship, but it was the farmer gathering his cows on the other side of the hill. I joined the cattle following the little truck out of the pasture, got back on my bicycle that was lying shattered on the ground to enjoy the way down to the world of the living.
Back in my hotel I enjoyed a hot bath and a beer before the owners spoiled me again with a gorgeous dinner.

Was the typhoon planning to destroy my plans? Well, it failed. What a fantastic day again.