Shirahama's Byobu-iwa Rock, Peanut Soft Serve, and a Sandstorm - A Casual Trip to Southern Boso: Strange Rocks and Snacks Edition -

Hello! Welcome to Nagu-Nagu Tourist.
Today, we are visiting the tip of the Boso Peninsula.

I will introduce the spectacular strange rock formation 'Shirahama's Byobu-iwa' and the exquisite peanut soft serve found along the way. Both are places you should definitely visit if you come to the southern side of the Boso Peninsula. In particular, there is little information about 'Shirahama's Byobu-iwa,' and I struggled to find parking and the path down to the coast. This post is packed with information for those in the same boat.

So, let's get started!

▼ Touring Mapple

For those of you who like to aim for the strike zone at the last minute, I'll teach you how to find your destination. I recommend paper maps, especially those for motorcycles.

The map I used for this trip was the 'Touring Mapple R Kanto-Koshinetsu'.

Some people search for hidden gems online, but once they appear at the top of search results, they aren't hidden gems anymore (lol). You just have to research them quietly. Paper maps are perfect for enjoying the planning process while gazing at them vaguely and broadly.

While looking at the page for the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula, I discovered a comment saying,'Byobu-iwa (a 500m-long strange rock formation created by nature)'.

I'm curious~

Alright, let's go.

▼ Spring Storm

When I checked online beforehand, I had a concern. I couldn't find any parking near Byobu-iwa.

I had no choice but to choose the Shirahama Municipal Sports Plaza Dedicated Parking Lot. It's 3km away from Byobu-iwa (a 40-minute walk).

It's a fair distance, but I'll walk it. If you walk, you'll make new discoveries, and that's fun in its own way.

Just as I was thinking that,

Snap, crackle, pop!

It is a baptism by a spring storm. Strong winds and the sandstorms they whip up. My car's body is being scraped by the sand, making a sound. Shhh, crackle, crackle...
Although I parked in the lot, I didn't have the confidence to walk for 40 minutes while being pelted by the sand's crackling punches. Hmm, for now, I'll drive closer and then think about it. I also can't bear to leave my car in this sandstorm for two hours.

Actually, there is one other parking lot I had my eye on beforehand.

That is here.
Since it is only listed as a "parking lot" on Google Maps, I had been hesitant to use it.

There are no hotels or restaurants around. There are no warning signs or information boards. It doesn't seem like I would be causing any trouble. I'll go ahead and park here.

▼ Promenade available

Before I knew it, the wind had died down.
I get out of the car and start walking along the side of the road. I'm worried because there is no sidewalk, but a promenade begins shortly. It is a well-maintained, impressive walkway. Then, I can see the coastline below. I can't see the details, but there is no doubt this is Byobu-iwa Rock. My heart swells with anticipation.

After walking along the promenade for about five minutes, a bus stop came into view.

The name of the bus stop is "Shirahama no Byobu-iwa." It seems to be recognized by the bus company and local government, but there is no one here besides us. (By the way, today is the Vernal Equinox.)

If you are coming by bus, be sure to check the timetable in advance.

Wait, hold on a second!

There is one more time you need to be aware of.

On this day, low tide was at 14:30.
That is why I climbed Mount Nokogiri in the morning and came here in the afternoon.

▼ Path down to the coast

Right in front of the bus stop is a closed facility. And next door is "DOG DEPT," a hotel where you can stay with your dog. The path between them is the way down to the coast. Be careful, as it is a little hard to find. By the way, the drone footage of the hotel below shows the coast at high tide.

Is this really the right path?

It's a path that makes you wonder, but once you see this sign, you're on the right track.

Let's move forward.

Then,

It's hereeeeeee

▼ A cockscomb? No, no, it's a folding screen.

The part that looks like a rooster's comb is the reason it's called Byobu-iwa (Folding Screen Rock).
The beauty of natural formations is truly mysterious.

If you walk about 100 meters to the right (west side), the direction of the strata becomes diagonal.

When you return to the original position

Upright

▼ Folds and Beachcombing

Can you tell how the angle of the strata changes rapidly even though I've only walked a little bit? If you look closely at the first photo of the comb, it curves slightly to the left toward the back, doesn't it? This bending of strata is called "folding".

The Pacific Plate is steadily and slowly pushing in from the south. It collides with the Eurasian Plate, locking in a stalemate. The Boso Peninsula, caught in between, is squeezed and bent, causing the strata to twist (fold) and become vertical stripes. Furthermore, after that, it was eroded by seawater

And this is what was created

It's amazing that strata that accumulated over tens of thousands of years to become like a mille-feuille have turned vertical.
It's a sight as strange as asking myself why I ordered a mille-feuille after knocking it over on a first date.

I also walk a little to the east. I wonder if this area is easy for shellfish to live in?

Rather than a sandy beach, it's a seashell beach.
For those of you who like beachcombing, this place looks interesting too.

And for those who have become interested in "folding" or who like the show 'Buratamori', check this out too.

The theory of continental drift we learned in elementary school. I didn't really understand it.
For example, why are there so many volcanoes inland on the Japanese archipelago, rather than at the trenches where plates subduct?
This is an introductory book that explains such questions in an easy-to-understand way.

The Japanese archipelago is a rare place in the world with active crustal movements. This is the secret to why you can see spectacular strange rocks all over the Japanese archipelago. This book also introduces geological landmarks in various places, making you want to go see them. It's a troublesome book.

Returning to the subject

I'm getting back to the story,

▼ After the walk

- A quick detour -

This is it, this is it!

You absoooolutely have to try this! Bam!
Nagu-tsu only introduces things I want to eat again.

This is peanut soft serve. It has a rich peanut flavor. It's the first time I've had soft serve that tastes so much like peanuts. As expected of a specialty product that Chiba Prefecture is proud of.

This was also listed in the "Touring Mapple" map I introduced at the beginning. Let's go to Kimura Peanuts Tateyama Store (Pineki).

I'm the type of person who usually only buys 158-yen Chinese peanuts, but when I'm traveling, I end up buying high-end Chiba-grown peanuts that cost over 10 times as much. It's a mystery (lol).

Alright, did you enjoy it?
That's all for today!

- Next Episode Preview -

Tomorrow is train day.
I'll be going all the way around the coast of the Boso Peninsula by train.

Where is this?

( To be continued... )