Picturesque Coastal Town
This picturesque coastal town of Manazuru that has been called the Amalfi of Japan, sits on Sagami Bay, a fisherman’s paradise filled with huge biodiversity among fish species and exceptional fishing. Manazuru is a town located on a small peninsula on Sagami Bay in the southwest of Kanagawa Prefecture. Known for having a distinctive shape resembling a crane with open wings, Manazuru is a popular spot for water sports including fishing and diving. The area also has spectacular views of the bay thanks to the surrounding virgin forest.
Manazuru Town is more than just fish, however. The rocky, mountainous peninsula that it sits on also produces komatsu ishi, the type of stone that the Imperial Palace in Tokyo is constructed from, and mikan, a type of citrus fruit similar to tangerines. As these industries grew, the town sprang up around Manazuru Port, with colorful houses climbing the steep hillside near the sea. The result is a picturesque coastal town that has been called the Amalfi of Japan. Why this seaside jewel remains so pristine is in large thanks to the Manazuru City Design Code, which saved it from the overdevelopment that claimed neighboring hamlets during the bubble economy of the 1980s. Thanks to this design code, buildings remain in harmony with the location, a sense of community is fostered, and the magnificent vistas that the area is famous for have been protected.
In this pristine location, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad view, and for this Manazuru is a photographer’s delight. To get to one of those vistas, we headed into the residential hillside, climbing a series of narrow footpaths, zigging and zagging upwards through charming houses. But as a travel destination, it is so much more than just nice views. By leaving it’s back door open to visitors, it offers an opportunity to find the continuity between past and present, and to see how people actually live in this charming place where the sea meets the sky.
Manazuru Town is more than just fish, however. The rocky, mountainous peninsula that it sits on also produces komatsu ishi, the type of stone that the Imperial Palace in Tokyo is constructed from, and mikan, a type of citrus fruit similar to tangerines. As these industries grew, the town sprang up around Manazuru Port, with colorful houses climbing the steep hillside near the sea. The result is a picturesque coastal town that has been called the Amalfi of Japan. Why this seaside jewel remains so pristine is in large thanks to the Manazuru City Design Code, which saved it from the overdevelopment that claimed neighboring hamlets during the bubble economy of the 1980s. Thanks to this design code, buildings remain in harmony with the location, a sense of community is fostered, and the magnificent vistas that the area is famous for have been protected.
In this pristine location, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad view, and for this Manazuru is a photographer’s delight. To get to one of those vistas, we headed into the residential hillside, climbing a series of narrow footpaths, zigging and zagging upwards through charming houses. But as a travel destination, it is so much more than just nice views. By leaving it’s back door open to visitors, it offers an opportunity to find the continuity between past and present, and to see how people actually live in this charming place where the sea meets the sky.
