A national trust movement of citizens has preserved the scenic beauty of Cape Tenjinzaki. Sumio Tamai, executive director with a preservationist group, recalls the history of the movement. (Shinichi Katsube)

Photo/Illutration A crowd of visitors take photographs at Cape Tenjinzaki in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, at dusk on Nov. 29. (Shinichi Katsube)

TANABE, Wakayama Prefecture--Even on weekdays, Cape Tenjinzaki, which juts into the sea on the north of Tanabe Bay here, is packed with visitors enjoying the scenery at dusk, particularly when it coincides with an ebb tide.

The area is picturesque when the sky is seen reflected on a specular surface of a thin body of seawater that covers a flat, rocky beach.

Admirers say the spot resembles Salar de Uyuni, a salt flat in Bolivia, and the scenery looks magnificent when posted on social media.

The landscape owes its unspoiled existence to the unsung enthusiasm of a group of local residents, who have worked to preserve the rich natural environment for nearly half a century. Their movement continues, albeit with concerns over an aging membership.

“We thought nature should be preserved, not the least for the sake of our children’s future,” said Sumio Tamai, 83, executive director with National Trust Tenjinzaki, who previously served as a biology teacher at Tanabe High School.

Tenjinzaki lies close to a downtown area. It comprises 20 hectares of forested hills and 21 hectares of a flat shore reef, which emerges above water at low tide. The area is home to a single ecosystem that encapsulates everything including the forests, the beach and the sea.

A table of recommended visit dates and times is available on the Tanabe Tourism Association website. The reflection on the water may fail to live up to expectations when ripples have been created on the surface by rain and the wind.

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Visitors shoot photographs at Cape Tenjinzaki in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, at dusk on Nov. 29. (Shinichi Katsube)

The preservationist movement began after a plan was floated in 1974 for building 50 villa residences on a hill at the back of Tenjinzaki.

The news startled a teacher with Tanabe Commercial High School, the predecessor of today’s Kashima High School, who felt concerned that an influx of earth from the hills would take a toll on marine creatures and disrupt the ecosystem.

An association for preserving Tenjinzaki’s nature, which is now known as National Trust Tenjinzaki, was set up at the initiative of the teacher and like-minded residents.

The members began raising funds for buying up land plots on the planned villa site. The construction plan was abandoned in 1985, officials said.

The association, which was certified in 1987 as Japan’s first national trust foundation, set the goal of tapping into donations and other funds to acquire 18 hectares of land, out of the 20 hectares of forested mountains.

Talks with a developer that had acquired land plots sometimes faced rough going because the act of land development is not illegal in itself. At least one association member took out personal loans to raise funds and engaged in persistent and prolonged negotiations.

National Trust Tenjinzaki in November purchased a new batch of 1,033 square meters, which brought the total area acquired to 8.9 hectares, half the initial goal. Included in the count are land plots owned by the Tanabe city government and by the Nature Conservation Society of Japan.

Starting in 1975, the association has given nearly 80 “nature observation” courses, where many children have participated. It has also organized four cleanup sessions every year and has engaged in tree-planting campaigns.

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Cape Tenjinzaki (Provided by National Trust Tenjinzaki)

The association’s membership has shrunk from more than 2,000 three decades ago to only about 700. The membership is also aging, with many of the group’s directors being 60 or older.

The association’s officials said they are seeking opportunities to connect with the crowd of recent visitors to Tenjinzaki.

“Children have taken an interest in Tenjinzaki,” Tamai said. “I think our love for the natural environment in our close surroundings will be carried on as long as this movement continues.”

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