I recently learned a possible reason why Yokohama Beach is bare. Although it is a beautiful beach (prime "real estate" for the homeless), and although the keawe-overgrown shoreline on the way to it is filled with tents and abandoned cars, Yokohama Beach remains relatively pristine and untouched. When I mentioned this to a few of the interns joining me at the Waianae Rehab project, one of them (Tommy), a Chinese student, said that it was because Kaena Point was a "launching off" point for the dead. I may have mentioned that I believed that Chinaman's Hat out near Kualoa was also a "launching off" point; while that may be debatable, Kaena Point is notorious for this "property."
To elaborate: the Hawaiians believe that certain sites on the island serve as "launching off" points that allow the dead to leave the mortal plane and enter the spirit world.
The reason why the homeless (predominately Hawaiian) population leaves Yokohama bare is so that they don't interrupt or block the procession of dead on their way to Kaena Point. Perhaps there is a danger in blocking this procession, something akin to being on the path of Night Marchers...
In any case, this was really interesting news for me. I had intended to utilize Kualoa (Chinaman's Hat) in the story "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday" (primarily because it was the only place I ever skinny-dipped), but perhaps Yokohama is more appropriate.
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