I live in Chigasaki.
Wow, this may seem sudden, but I live in Chigasaki.
When I say, "I live near the sea," the next question I'm always asked is, "Do you surf?" They ask me as if it's a given that I have rice and miso soup with my set meal.
I haven't done it at all.
Once, I borrowed a friend's wetsuit and rode the waves.
Even though it was my first time, I was able to catch the waves and people even told me, "You have potential!", but I just didn't get hooked.
People often say to me, "I'm jealous that you live near the sea."
There are certainly many good parts.
But that's by no means all there is to it.
Even though the sea is close by, I only go there a few times a year.
I didn't really like the sea that much.
There are surprisingly many Chigasaki people like this.
Bicycles that are exposed to the sea breeze usually start to rust soon after purchase.
If you hang out laundry until after 2 p.m., it may go beyond being damp and become soggy.
Although it has become much less common recently, in the summer there were times when the noise of the engines of motorcycle gangs driving on National Route 134 was so loud that it was impossible to sleep.
On a nice day, I was enjoying a leisurely lunch outside on the balcony when a buzzard that had been circling overhead suddenly began flying silently at low altitude.
No one believes me, but one time I was walking around wearing a down coat with real fur on it, and a buzzard flew by me, whizzing by . I felt the fear of wild animals.
As I was walking down the street at night, a big, fat stray cat crossed my path.
But then I realize it's a raccoon...that still happens.
In the summer, there is a shortcut to the sea nearby, but even going to the big pharmacy in the next town is irritating because of the huge traffic jams.
There are a lot of old men who are former fishermen, and the conversations there sound like they're yelling, so it's a bit scary.
Of course, there was a time in the past when I was fascinated by Tokyo and lived there for several years.
I still remember it. My apartment in Shimokitazawa I worked part-time at a second-hand clothing store in Shimokitazawa, and I loved going out drinking with friends and going to live shows and theaters.
I really loved the atmosphere of Shimokitazawa, which was stimulating but not too cool.
But after living there for a few years, one day you realize something.
"Tokyo is too dazzling for me..."
I have a friend who lives in Tokyo and has become surprisingly accustomed to it, and another friend who takes the train on his days off to see nature.
I was definitely the latter.
At the time, the company I was working for had irregular working hours and it was common for me to return home at dawn.
Due to the nature of my job, I had to live in Tokyo, as it was common for me to work all night, but when I left work I returned to Chigasaki.
I used to not go to the beach that often, but recently I often go there by bicycle on my days off.
At a time like this, the sea is the most relaxing place to be.
When I go to the sea, all the thoughts in my head just disappear.
I find the sound of the waves, gazing out at the horizon, soothing and comforting.
No matter what you say, I love Chigasaki.
I read somewhere that "the place where you live is different from the place where you live," and I've often felt that this is true recently.
Even if a buzzard steals your sandwich, your favorite bike rusts quickly, or a bunch of chubby, shirtless old men in flip-flops cycle by in the middle of summer.
It's now even more fun to take a shortcut to the next town in the middle of summer.
Whenever I see a raccoon dog, I am reminded of Hayao Miyazaki's "Heisei Ponpoko Tanuki Gassen" and sometimes I find myself thinking, "Do your best!"
I also know that these foul-mouthed old men, former fishermen, are actually shy and kind people.
Even when I'm feeling a little down, it gives me such a magnificent sunset and makes me think, "Ah, I can still look at this view and think it's beautiful, so I'm okay." The ocean can be scary at times, but every day I'm there and it shows me beautiful views.
"Chigasaki is really great," I thought again today as I brought in the sticky laundry.