To the Lighthouse

千葉県「犬吠埼灯台へ」

2022年 9月1日

関東地方に住んでいながら、一度も行ったことのなかった「犬吠埼」。その名からは犬の咆哮が聴こえてきそうな、猛々しい荒海が想像される。怖いもの見たさと言おうか、大海原に響く波音と身近に接してみようと一人旅に出かけた。果たして、99段の螺旋階段を昇り、灯台の展望デッキに出ると周囲360度の景観は壮大なものだった。午前8時過ぎに家を出て、午後8時過ぎに帰宅。2022年夏の小旅行を写真と共に記録しておきたい。

I had never been to Cape Inubo Saki, in Chiba Prefecture, although I've been living in Kanto Area since I was born. Inubou-saki, literally means "a cape where dogs are howling.." It makes me imagine the stormy ocean. I have been Out of ghoulish curiosity, I went on a short trip to the lighthouse at the tip of Inubo Saki at the beginning of September. Actually, I climbed up 99 steps to the top of the lighthouse and watched the view around it. How grand the scene was! I left home at 8:00 a.m. and came home at 8:00 p.m. The 12-hour travel inspired me a lot. Let me show the photos with captions for the memory of summer 2022.

To the Lighthouse at Inubo Saki,
Chiba, Japan
September 1, 2022

東京-JR総武線快速線（特急）-銚子-銚子電鉄線-犬吠

Tokyo < --JR Bousou Rapid Service--> Choushi <- -Choushi Dentetsu Railway Line--> Inubou

Back to Home / Back to the Latest Notes / Back to Walking

途上、空模様は曇ったり時々降ったり、次第にはれ上がっていった。水田は実り、黄金色になっていくところだった。

On the way, it was cloudy and partially rainy. By and by it cleared up. The rice fields were ripening and turning to be gold.

広い耕作地帯の彼方に、風力発電の風車が動いているのが見えた。デンマークの田園を列車で移動したときに見た風景を思い出す。

Beyond the vast field, windmills were observed. They reminded me of those in Denmark which I saw from the train windows.

JR線から銚子電鉄に乗り換えるための駅舎も改札口もない。小さな屋根の手前にそこまでのJR料金を精算するポールが立っているだけ。これもデンマークの駅で見た清算用ポールを思い出させる。

There was no gate to enter the platform of Choushi-Dentetus Raiway Line. Only a small roof and the plate showed the way. The pole in front is where we pay the fare of JR, not to get on board to Choushi-Dentetus Raiway. It also reminded me of the IC poles for checking "on & out" of the train in Denmark.

二両編成の銚子電鉄。もちろん単線だ。

The train of two cars goes on the single track line.

車内の広告はほぼ全てコラボするアニメの画像だった。

Almost all the ad posters inside of the train were of an animation with which the train company collaborates right now.

ICチケットなし。乗車券は全て車掌が車内販売する。とても若い（けれどしっかり者の）車掌さんだった。この日は観光客ばかりでなく、学校帰りの生徒たちがたくさん乗っていた。

No IC tickets were acceptable, but passengers have to buy tickets from the conductor. He was a very young and confident man. Not only travelers but quite many passengers (students coming home from school) were on board on the day.

沿線の駅舎の一つ。古い木造の平屋で郷愁を誘う。

One of the post-houses of the line. Very old-fashioned flat wooden house and retrospective.

観光客にとっては実に魅力的な（それ自体がアトラクションのような）駅舎だけれど、このままずっと存続させるにはどれほどコストが必要だろうと、つい考えてしまう。

The post house is very attractive to tourists, but I wonder how much it would cost to preserve this old house.

犬吠駅を出て10分ほど歩くと、目の前に海が見えた。胸が鳴る。ついに来た！弓ヶ浜だ。

Walking for about 10 minutes from the stop of Inubo, a view of the ocean came into my sight. My heart leaped. Eventually I've come to see the Pacific Ocean! It was Yumigahama Beach.

弓ヶ浜は形状からそう名付けられたようだ。

Yumigahama Beach was named after its shape of a bow.

浜辺の植物がたわわに実る。

The beach-side tree gives the abundant fruit.

犬吠埼灯台全容。

This is it! Inubo Saki Lighthouse

高さ31Mの犬吠埼灯台を見上げた。

I looked up at Inubo Saki Lighthouse of 31 meters high.

灯台の展望台から眼下の弓ヶ浜を見下ろす。

From the deck of the lighthouse I looked down at Yumigahama Beach.

灯台の展望台から見た弓ヶ浜。

Yumigahama Beach seen from the deck of the lighthouse.

穏やかな渚に白波が打ち返す。こんな風景が見たかった。

White waves come and go. This is what I've wanted to watch.

灯台の東側、岩場と大海原。

Eastward of the lighthouse. Rocky beach and the ocean.

灯台の風速計を戴く塔。どれほどの風が吹きすさぶことか。

An anemometer on the top of the white tower.

風速計と岩場の海辺。

An anemometer and the rocky shore.

青のグラデーションと白波のコントラストが美しい。

The blue gradation and the contrastive white waves make a beautiful contrast.

灯台から東南方向に目を向ける。

I watched south-east from the deck.

銚子電鉄終点の外川に近い、長崎海岸が見える。

I had a view of Nagasaki Beach near Togawa, the terminal stop of Choushi Dentetsu Railway Line.

灯台を降りて、岩場に足を踏み出す。

I climbed down the ighthouse and went into the rocky shore.

海が近付いてくる。

I went closer to the water.

「銚子ジオパーク」の説明板。景観を楽しむだけでなく、海洋に突き出した大地のについて学ぶ絶好の場所であると。

The board introduces "Choshi Geopark." Read the right column.→

「銚子ジオパーク」の説明板より

関東地域の最東端「銚子」は三方を太平洋と利根川に囲まれた半島です。
また、調子は日本最大の集水域を誇る「利根川」の下降であり、暖流である「黒潮」が日本沿岸から離れる場所です。半島地形と利根川・黒潮は銚子に様々な大地の恵みをもたらしています。銚子ジオパークでは、大地からの恵みだけでなく、恵みをもたらしたダイナミックな大地の活動の記録を実感することができます。」

Choshi is located on the eastmostpeninshula of the Kanto region and is surrounded bu the Pacific Ocean and the Tone River. Choshi is located at the mouth of the Tone River, which hasthe largest catchmnt area in Japan. The Kuroshio Current (warm current) eaves the coast of Japan at Choshi, flows eastward in the Pacific Ocean.
The topography of Choshi gives us the many blessings of the Earth. Geopark allows expeiencing these wonderful blessings along with the naturally recorded istory of the Earth's dynamic movments to which these blessings are attributed.