GOTSU, Shimane Prefecture--The view from a tiny observation deck on a small hill reveals a landscape of red-tiled roofs, a white sandy beach and the vast blue expanse of the sea.

This scenic vista is not of a seaside stretch along the Mediterranean but of a town on the Sea of Japan as seen from the wooden Kojozan observatory here.

The observation point was created by local residents behind JR Hashi Station, which is a two-hour train ride from Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, along the JR Sanin Line.

Exiting at Hashi Station and after a short ascent, one arrives at the observation facility that possesses an ambience resembling that of a child’s secret base.

The characteristic crimson material used for house tops there is known as the Sekishu tile.

RED ROOFS DATE BACK CENTURIES

The Sekishu rooftop covering, counted among Japan’s three prominent roof tiles with Sanshu tiles from Aichi Prefecture and Awaji tiles from Hyogo Prefecture, is produced in the Iwami region in western Shimane Prefecture.

Reddish tiles are estimated to have been utilized since the middle of the Edo Period (1603-1867).

Nobutada Morisaki, 64, a managing director of the Sekishu roof tile industry association, which is comprised of local tile makers, likened the townscape of Gotsu to those of globally renowned tourist spots in Italy.

“Don’t you think the scenery here is like that of Venice or Florence?” he asked. “We receive inquiries from young people from outside our prefecture who have encountered images of the landscape.”

Mitsunori Kurokawa, 76, a member of the Hashi community council on town improvement and revitalization, said the picturesque spot was previously “lesser-known” among sightseers.

“It was famously exclusive to locals,” Kurokawa recalled.

Thinking that setting up a platform to overlook the townscape and the ocean would attract tourist to Gotsu, Kurokawa sought to pour energy into the community.

Acting on this belief, he worked with some 10 elderly volunteers to put an observation deck on a hill behind the station in 2017 on their own.

The magnificent view of Sekishu tiles and the Sea of Japan can now be enjoyed from Kojozan, accompanied by refreshing ocean breezes.

One early afternoon, a panoramic vista of red roofs stretched from the northwest to the southwest.

As the sun set over the southwest to illuminate the sprawling sandy beach, the scene quickly became backlit.

With the sunlight coming from the side, an Asahi Shimbun reporter turned the camera to the northwest to create a striking 3-D effect. A train running on the JR Sanin Line was captured to accent the photo.

“I love the sunset as seen from here,” said Kurokawa. “I desperately want visitors to enjoy the red-lit landscape as well.”

SECRET OF THE '100-YEAR TILES'

According to the accounts of Norio Kamedani, 54, head director of the Sekishu roof tile industry association, the reddish color of Sekishu tiles derives from Kimachiishi stones, which contain iron, that are unearthed nearby. The stone is used for glaze.

Another condition still needs to be fulfilled to realize a vivid and beautiful reddish hue: The kiln temperature must reach 1,200 degrees or higher.

Kamedani Ceramics Co., which is run by Kamedani, keeps the kiln at 1,350 degrees, compared with up to 1,150 degrees for furnaces at other roof tile production areas.

Firing tiles at higher temperatures causes products to shrink and warp more easily, which makes it more difficult to properly finish them.

However, these high readings in kilns help remove excess water inside at the same time, so that tiles become resistant to freezing and salt damage. It is said to be essential to protect rooftops from the elements on the Sea of Japan side.

Realized through this process, the exceptional durability of what is at times called “100-year tiles” contributes largely to the red covering’s functional beauty.

Boasting a population of 21,350, Gotsu city labels itself as the “most difficult town to access from Tokyo” given its inconvenient accessibility by train.

The municipality is pushing forward with efforts to reinvigorate the local community, including opening a craft beer brewery on the grounds of Hashi Station earlier this year.