#240 Habu Port
- nh
- 3 hours ago
- 1 min read
Izu Oshima, Tokyo
Habu port (minato) is a small port town on the southeastern coast of Izu Oshima. It was built around 200 years ago, and its quaint streets and gorgeous ocean views offer you a chance to step back in time. Officially opened in 1800 after extensive excavation of rocks, the port flourished as a sheltered, natural harbor and fishing hub until the mid-1900s, later becoming a famous tourist spot.
This small village was the inspiration for Yasunari Kawabata's novel "The Dancing Girl of Izu" (Izu no odoriko) and the popular folk song such as "Habu no Minato" and "Anko Anko tsubaki wa koi no hana". Anko tsubaki.. was sang by a popular singer Harumi Miyako. Its lyric was written by Tetsuro Hoshino, who was from Suo Oshima (my hometown) as inscribed on the stone monument.
The former Minatoya Inn, located in the Habuminato district of Izu Oshima, is a historic three-story wooden building from the Meiji/Taishō era, representing the island's past prosperity and linked to the famous novel "Izu-no-Odoriko". It was a popular inn, featuring unique architecture for the area, and is now a recognized cultural site.
Hav Cafe
(A tasteful coffee shop at a renovated old house. Turned out that the owner is a travel journalist and has many connections with Suo Oshima in Yamaguchi prefecture where I am from!)
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