Until about two decades ago, poet Mutsuo Takahashi considered the city of Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, virgin territory.
Only 50 km south of Tokyo, Zushi is a rare natural treasure in the concrete-covered region. Located at the top of the Miura Peninsula, the city faces the sea in the west and is surrounded by mountains and forests on three sides.
Takahashi, 66, moved to Zushi in 1986 from his longtime home in Tokyo.