I spent a half day in Hiratsuka, which sits on the pacific coast of Japan between Tokyo and Mt Fuji. It is a modern Japanese city best known for its Keirin stadium, an unusual vinegar based ramen (which I enjoyed) and a decent art museum.  Laundering money is illegal but washing it at Hiratsuka’s Myoenji temple is meant to bring luck. So, my trip ended with me having some of my Japanese Yen washed in the hope of getting rich for the year – let’s see what happens.

 

Hachiman Shrine (Hachimangu)

It doesn’t have the grandeur of the country’s famous shrines in Kyoto and Tokyo but Hiratsuka’s Hachimangu is still picturesque and certainly as historical. It is conveniently located near the train station so this was my first stop. Built in the year 380 by the Emperor Nintoku, this shrine is linked to Hachiman, a shinto spirit associated with learning as well as with warriors, the samurai. Hiratsuka’s Hachimangu, however, was also specifically meant to help protect the people in the area from earthquakes. The shrine’s grounds includes a pond said to be sacred and home to ducks, turtles and coi fish.

 

Ramen at Hanamizuraoshan

Hiratsuka is known for its slightly sour ramen broth base, which the chef at Hanamizuraoshan tells me is achieved in part by using an apple vinegar (he wouldn’t give all the secrets away). My friends weren’t sure I’d like this and I had been told that this is quite an acquired taste. But in fact, I do like the vinegary tones to the broth. The classic dish is just the noodles (excellent here – a light, white springy ramen) with the broth and seaweed. But you can opt to add the char siu (pork) slices and also have the more nationally common ramen variations. Also good is the gyoza. This is a very local place with few tourists, so no english, but well worth coming to for something you can’t find elsewhere.

 

Activities – check out a bike race at the Keirin stadium

Hiratsuka’s Keirin stadium is one of Japan’s professional cycling velodromes built especially for Keirin, which is essentially a bicycle pursuit race that originated in post-war Japan. A key part of the popularity is that betting is allowed. Keirin became an olympic sport for men in 2000 and for women in 2012. With the Tokyo Olympics around the corner in 2020, there will no doubt be increasing interest locally on the top cyclists in Japan. The riders compete in a series of races over the course of a calendar year in a bid to finish in the top nine and qualify for the Gran Prix, which is the richest race for the year. Hiratsuka’s Keirin Stadium was renovated in 2017 and possesses an impressive modern seating section. An interesting piece of info: the building doubles up as an emergency evacuation center for the town in case of a tsunami. Most of the races take place in the evening so it’s fun way to end a trip to this town with carnival-like activities at the stadium. Entrance fees are at most JPY100 although a reserved seat costs extra.

 

Seeking my Fortune at Myoenji 

I got to clean up my cash at Myoenji, a small but fascinating temple in the Tsuchiya area of Hiratsuka. Deep in a cave on the temple grounds is a well with water that if you wash your cash in, will bring good fortune. In other words, the only legal form of money laundering. The temple is led by priest Masaki Ikeda and his family who are wonderfully hospitable and will show you the cave. I wish I had brought my Singapore dollar notes with me as on hindsight, since I live in Singapore, perhaps it would have made more fortune sense to have the Singapore notes blessed instead of my yen. This was a very different temple experience from the others I’ve had in Japan which would consist mainly of just visiting the garden or looking at the temple itself. The walk into the cave was in itself fascinating with parts of the tunnel ceiling fairly low, and with statues sitting in naves in the cave walls. The darkness and low ceilings made it a bit eerie but the adds to the experience. And ultimately, I enjoyed the chance to say that I laundered my money.

 

There is a Beach and Getting Here is Easy

I didn’t go to the beach but Hiratsuka does have a coast line and wide expanses of beach that is just 20 minutes walk from the train station. So this is not a bad option if you like the sun and surf and beach volleyball and just want to get away from the concrete on a hot summer day. Getting to Hiratsuka is easy, the city is just around an hour’s ride on the JR Tokaido line from Tokyo Station, or alternatively from Shinagawa or Shinbashi stations. The train leaves about every 10 minutes.