The coastal waters of Kushimoto hold the world's northernmost large coral communities. Its colonies of table-shaped Acropora hyacinthus and Catalaphyllia jardinei are the largest in Japan. Although it lies at a high latitude in central Honshu, the strong influence of the Kuroshio Current lets many tropical creatures, including tropical fish, live here. In November 2005 the area was registered as a Ramsar wetland.
Sources: pref.wakayama.lg.jp
This moment in the journey
An aquarium of the world's northernmost coral sea
A train pulled into the platform at Tanami Station, green hills rising beyond the overhead wires. The sea of Kushimoto, where I was headed, is known for the world's northernmost large coral communities. Nourished by the Kuroshio Current, it is a beautiful sea where colorful tropical fish swim.
At the Kushimoto Marine Park aquarium, I stood beneath a tunnel tank while schools of fish crossed above my head. The tanks use seawater pumped straight from the sea in front of the building, and only creatures that live in Kushimoto's own waters are shown. It is an aquarium that reproduces the sea as it really is.
In the sea turtle park there were adorable baby turtles, too. A face peering up at me from just below the surface stopped me in my tracks.
Watch this scene on YouTube3:13
More notes from this journey
Kushimoto, Wakayama
Katsuo chazuke (bonito over rice with hot broth)
Bonito dressed in sauce is laid over rice and eaten with hot broth poured on top.
From: A house in the forest and a southern sea: a day in Kushimoto
Kushimoto, Wakayama
Flying fish and citrus carpaccio
Besides tuna and bonito, Kushimoto's port lands flying fish and saury.
From: A house in the forest and a southern sea: a day in Kushimoto
Kushimoto, Wakayama
Cape Shionomisaki, the southernmost point of Honshu
The southernmost point of Honshu, at 135°46′E, 33°26′N.
From: A house in the forest and a southern sea: a day in Kushimoto
Kushimoto, Wakayama
Kushimoto Marine Park (aquarium and underwater observatory)
An aquarium that recreates the sea of Kushimoto with seawater and creatures from the waters right in front of it.
From: A house in the forest and a southern sea: a day in Kushimoto
Kushimoto, Wakayama
The Turkish Memorial Museum and the Ertugrul
A museum beside the memorial to the Turkish frigate on Kashinozaki, Kii-Oshima, displaying a model of the Ertugrul along with relics, photographs and documents.
From: A house in the forest and a southern sea: a day in Kushimoto
Kushimoto, Wakayama
Tanami Theater
A theater beside JR Tanami Station, built in 1950.
From: A house in the forest and a southern sea: a day in Kushimoto
More notes from Kinki
Kyoto City, Kyoto
Kyoto-style ozoni (white miso New Year soup)
Ozoni in and around Kyoto is built on kombu dashi and white miso, with round mochi, taro, carrot and daikon.
From: Making New Year's Eve soba in a Kyoto townhouse
Kyoto City, Kyoto
Osechi (datemaki, red-and-white namasu, decorated kamaboko)
Each osechi dish carries a wish.
From: Making New Year's Eve soba in a Kyoto townhouse
Kyoto City, Kyoto
Toshikoshi soba (nihachi soba)
The custom of eating soba on New Year's Eve is said to have spread among ordinary people in the Edo period.
From: Making New Year's Eve soba in a Kyoto townhouse
Aridagawa, Wakayama
Chestnut rice (kuri gohan)
My first chestnut rice, made with chestnuts I had picked myself.
From: Chestnuts, saury and an autumn feast
Aridagawa, Wakayama
Charcoal-grilled saury with sudachi
Sanma is written 秋刀魚, "autumn sword fish," but that spelling only spread from the Taisho era on; older texts wrote it 青串魚.
From: Chestnuts, saury and an autumn feast
Aridagawa, Wakayama
Wakayama bonito and mandarin carpaccio
In contrast to the lean first bonito of spring, the fish that head south from around September are called modori-gatsuo, returning bonito.
From: Chestnuts, saury and an autumn feast