Since starting
serious shell
collecting,
I received
many shells
from Japan,
many of them
labeled "Minabe,
Wakayama,
Japan".
I always wanted
to go there,
but in previous
trips to Japan
never found
time to get
there.
Finally last
November,
the most noted
Japanese shell
dealer, Mr.
Shingo Habu,
invited me
to visit his
winter house
between Minabe
and Cape Hino,
another place
famous for
shells.
Traveling
to Japan is
always very
pleasant but
presents difficulties
because most
Japanese only
speak, read
and write
Japanese.
On previous
trips, I had
help from
locals such
as Mitsuo
Chino, Paul
Callomon and
Yoshihiro
Goto in 1997.
Then returning
in 2006, it
was at the
invitation
of Hirosuke
Oshikata.
Since then,
Oshikata became
a very dear
friend and
I have visited
him several
times. On
every trip,
Oshikata planned
visits to
local dealers
and special
places.
In 1997, Paul
Callomon briefly
introduced
me to Mr.
Habu at the
Osaka airport
and we traded
some shells.
It was quite
funny because
I opened my
suitcase in
the middle
of Kansai
Airport and
unpacked the
material right
there. People
around wondered
what those
crazy guys
were doing.
2009 was very
hectic with
many trips
around the
world, but
finally I
was able to
schedule a
trip to Japan
during the
last week
of November
and first
week of December.
When I arrived
at Narita
Airport, Oshikata
was waiting
to go with
me to Wakayama
Prefecture.
The next day,
I flew from
Haneda (Tokyo)
to Shiharama
and really
felt like
an alien ?
I was the
only Western
person on
the entire
trip.
Mr. Habu was
waiting for
me at the
gate. Having
arrived in
late afternoon,
I did not
see the view
on the way
to Minabe.
After an hour
and half we
finally arrived
at a hotel
in Gobo -
not fancy
but with very
large rooms,
which is uncommon
in Japan.
Next morning
I was very
excited and
was already
walking around
the hotel
area before
7 AM. Gobo
is a very
rustic place
and people
were staring
at me wondering,
"who
is that???
Godzilla?"
Habu arrived
at 9 AM and
we drove to
his place
near Cape
Hino. On the
way, I noticed
that many
spots had
huge thick
walls between
the beach
and the road
or houses.
Habu explained
to me: It
is because
we have frequent
tsunamis;
my house was
hit three
times ? very
scary!
I quickly
went through
Habu's warehouse
and in a few
minutes had
a box full
of great shells.
Then we finally
started out
to Minabe.
Our first
stop was Minabe
harbor where
the fishermen
clean lobster
nets. They
set the nets
on top of
offshore reefs
and after
one or two
days go back
to pick them
up. Those
nets sometimes
or often hit
the bottom
and bring
up pieces
of coral,
gorgonians
and shells.
The fishermen
have to clean
most of their
catch offshore,
but in some
cases bring
everything
into port.
Habu knows
most of the
fishermen
and they save
good specimens
for him. But
he also checks
the trash
dump next
to the harbor.
I did that
also and found
some good
shells there
- smelly but
good!
After checking
the harbor,
we went to
an exposed
coral reef
where I collected
lots of species,
such as Granata
sulcifera;
Monodonta
labio confusa;
Angaria rugosa;
Lunella coreensis;
many Littorinas;
Cypraea errones;
Thais savignyi
and many other
Thais; some
Chitons, Neritas,
Nassarius,
bivalves,
etc. In only
two hours,
I found about
60 different
species.
On the next
day we went
to collect
some land
and fresh
water shells
around Gobo
and Cape Hino.
Our first
stop was a
very small
area, no more
than 10 square
meters where
Stereophaedusa
goniopoma
lives. According
to Habu, there
are only 3
such areas
where this
species is
found - it
is an invitation
for extinction
if someone
decides to
build there!
At Cape Hino
we found Tyrannophaedusa
aurantiaca;
Mundiphaedusa
pachyspira;
Euhadra eoa
communisiformis;
Euhadra sigeonis;
Semisulcospira
reiniana;
etc. On the
way back to
Gobo, we stopped
at a secret
shelling spot
to collect
very nice
large Clithon
retropictus.
The following
day, Habu
drove me to
Cape Hino
and I walked
on the rocky
beach to his
house, about
4 km away.
That took
the entire
morning and
I probably
turned over
a thousand
rocks and
stones. I
found plenty
of material,
especially
Patellidae,
Acmaeidae,
Trochidae,
Buccinidae,
Neritidae,
etc. It was
a fabulous
and productive
day!
Still ahead
was my trip
to Yamagushi
and Okinawa
- TO BE CONTINUED.....
English checking
by John Wolff
