Mihama Beach in Toda, Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, is a recommended beach that I used to visit every year during the bathing season when I was a child.
At that time, the beach was located in a village called "Toda-mura, Tagata-gun," rather than the current "Toda, Numazu-shi," and the land was probably less well known than it is today.
However, even back then, it was a famous beach known by those in the know, and was visited by many bathers from far and wide, not just the locals.
Mihama Beach
I remember that during the bathing season, this beach was lined with beach houses, and dinosaurs, gourd-shaped slides, and floating islands floated on the sea, where people of all ages enjoyed themselves.
Above all, the water here is crystal clear!
In the shallows, they had a clear view of the water and were chasing small fish and other animals.
You can play with local children on the slides and floating islands, make something with the sand on the beach, and when you get hungry, you can choose what you want to eat from the many beach houses.
Most of my memories are of fun, but my earliest memory of this beach is of nearly drowning, albeit only momentarily.
I think it happened when I was about 3 or 4 years old, and I remember being very scared.
He was drifting on the surface of the sea on a float when he lost his balance and tipped over.
I survived because my mother was nearby, but I remember being quite terrified at the time.
However, now that I think about it, there were so many bathers and so many lifesavers watching the beach that even if my mother had not been nearby, she would not have been seriously injured.
This may be a bit of a forced interpretation, but perhaps it was a good experience for me to learn about the fear of water at an early age.
Creating Summer Memories with Swimming and Fireworks
Another great memory of this beach was playing with fireworks.
Swimming in the sea during the day and fireworks at night was my standard way of enjoying myself.
I also have fond memories of fireworks with family, relatives, friends, and local children.
When we visited this beach, we stayed several nights, so we were at the beach from morning to night all the time.
This may be a slight digression from the subject of beaches, but Toda, Numazu City, is a port town, and there are many places for fishing near the beaches.
There are spots where you can target full-size fish, as well as embankments for family fishing, and fishing boats are also available, so I think the main attraction is that you can enjoy not only swimming but also various other ways of enjoying the sea.
Furthermore, there are many scenic spots, and many people go there to take pictures outside of the bathing season.
When I visited the place called Toda in Numazu City, I stayed at a minshuku that was run by my relatives, and I think the "warmth of the people" in this minshuku accommodation is one of the reasons why people want to visit.
Unfortunately, the number of guesthouses is much smaller now than it was then, but I personally strongly recommend it as a set of beach and swimming beach.
To begin with, the location of Toda, Numazu City, is surrounded by mountains and the sea, a location rich in nature, and is an easy-to-understand rural area, giving it a very laid-back atmosphere.
It is the perfect place for those who want to spend a relaxing time, whether it is the swimming season or not.
I have the most fond memories of my childhood, elementary and junior high school years, but I have also visited many times in high school and as an adult.
Although I no longer visit the beach for swimming, I have continued to visit this place, Toda, and its beaches several times a year for the past several years.
I am currently still single, but if I ever get married and become a parent, I would love to take my children here again to enjoy swimming.
Although there are places and things that have changed over time, there are many parts of the city that remain as they were then, and I am very happy that nothing has changed in the atmosphere of the place as it was then.
Now and then, if someone asks me where I would recommend to go to the beach, this is definitely the place I would choose.
However, this location is actually not very accessible.
There was no train service, and at that time there was a ferry service, so it was possible to visit by sea, but this service has now been discontinued, and one has to drive over a mountain to visit Toda.
You can visit by private car or bus, but the number of local buses is not large.
Because of this background, it does not seem to be a tourist attraction that attracts many people outside of the bathing season.
For me, it is a place where I am very happy to wander in and spend a relaxing time outside of the swimming season,
It is a very distressing recommendation for beaches, which we hope will attract a variety of people.
