Suma Beach: Home of Genji

The Beach that smells like a cannery: A day at Suma Beach

Sunday found it in its heart to allow both Mr. and Mrs. Nyar the same day off so we high-tailed it over to Suma Beach, Kobe’s place for fun in the sun.

We were glad we went there primarily to see Suma Temple; the beach itself at first glance could have been confused with an abandoned harbor/cannery row. But Suma temple was fantastic. It’s a must-see for its cool battery-operated dioramas of the rich history surrounding Suma Beach.

On this sandy berm dividing nature’s apportioned sea and land spheres, Genji chased down and shot a 13-year old son of the Heike clan full of arrows. A true Wounded Knee sort of place, in it was not a fair fight. After decapitating the poor arrow-ridden boy, Genji recanted his violent 13^th Century ways and became a monk.

Perhaps it was out of shame at the bad form garnered from public opinion when a warlord kills a preteen horseman, or the general PR hit taken, but Genji was never known to harness his adept archery skills in an aggressive manner ever again. The story is true, the diorama tells the tale in motorized textless form anyone can understand.

Next time you’re on the soft, fragrant sands of Suma Beach, congratulate yourself on your luck. A romp in the surf in this day and age, certainly isn’t likely to fill YOU full of painful arrows…

Now who says we don’t live in an enlightened society?