Photo of the Day: Pretty in Pink

Yuigahama Beach might not be overflowing with exotic seashells of curious shape and astounding size, but it is home to a delicately beautiful shell named for cherry blossoms.

Sakuragai (sakura=cherry; gai/kai=shell) are found only along Kamakura’s small stretch of beach, and honest-to-goodness look like the petals. More than once, I’ve bent down to pick one up only to discover that it was, in fact, part of a flower.

Most plentiful between the months of January and March, purists insist that the only
worthwhile shells are ones fished from the ocean, split open and cleaned. I can’t find it in me to kill a clam for its shell, so I stick to the slightly banged up ones on the sand. They’re still plenty pretty, though.