Oarai, Coastal town in Higashiibaraki district, Japan
Oarai is a coastal town in Higashiibaraki district, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, sitting between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Hinuma. The town area includes flat stretches of land and several small harbors still shaped by fishing activity.
The municipality formed in 1954 through the merger of Onuki and Isohama villages, which had existed for centuries as independent fishing communities. During the Edo period, the coast served as a landing point for merchant vessels traveling to Edo.
The town name combines two characters meaning 'big wash,' referring to ancient purification rituals performed on the beach. Fishing households with breakwater walls still define several neighborhoods along the shore.
The best time to visit is late autumn, when winds ease and coastal roads become suitable for walking. Several viewpoints along the beachfront promenade offer open views of the ocean.
A narrow sandy path, used by fishermen for generations, runs between rows of houses straight to the beach. Sinks in front of some older homes still show grooves from years of cleaning nets and fishing lines.
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