is a series of rock formations along the sea cliffs on the west coast of
Shimokita Peninsula at the entrance to
Mutsu Bay
is a bay located within Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of northern Japan. It has an east-west distance of approximately and a north-south distance of approximately at its eastern end, with a total area of approximately .
...
in far northern
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. These rock formations were designed a Natural Monument of Aomori Prefecture in 1934, and became further protected from April 23, 1941 as a
nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty and
Natural Monument
A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.
Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...
,
From 1968, the rock formations were also located within the borders of the
Shimokita Hantō Quasi-National Park
is a quasi-national park in the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of far northern Honshū in Japan. It is rated a protected landscape (category V) according to the IUCN. The park, consists of several discontinuou ...
. In 1975, the surrounding waters were designated as Hotokegaura Marine Park.
Overview
These natural wave-eroded formations are made from green volcanic
tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...
, with a height of approximately and extend for a stretch of coastline in the village of
Sai,
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, ...
. Individual features have been named for figures in
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
theology, and were popularised by the poet and mountaineer Omachi Keigetsu (1869-1925) after his visit in September 1922, although the area had been well-known since the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
at part of the pilgrimage route to
Mount Osore
is the name of a Buddhist temple and folk religion pilgrimage destination in the center of remote Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The temple is located in the caldera of an active volca ...
.
The area is difficult to reach overland despite its proximity to
Japan National Route 338, and tourist boats depart from the village of Sai or the city of
Mutsu from April through October. In 1991, a small jetty was constructed for the purpose of berthing a sightseeing boat
See also
*
Shimokita Hantō Quasi-National Park
is a quasi-national park in the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of far northern Honshū in Japan. It is rated a protected landscape (category V) according to the IUCN. The park, consists of several discontinuou ...
*
Jōdogahama
(''lit.'' 'Pure Land Beach') is a series of rock formations along the coast of Miyako Bay in the city of Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The area is part of the Sanriku Fukkō National Park, and is a national ...
*
List of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan (Aomori)
This list is of the Monuments of Japan, Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan located within the Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture of Aomori Prefecture, Aomori.
National Places of Scenic Beauty
As of 1 July 2020, ten Places have been Cultural Properti ...
Gallery
File:仏ヶ浦 - panoramio (2).jpg, Panorama
File:Renge-iwa, Hotokegaura.JPG, Rock formations
File:Keigetsu Omachi monument.JPG, Monument to Omachi Keigetsu
References
* ''Teikoku's Complete Atlas of Japan'', Teikoku-Shoin Co., Ltd. Tokyo 1990,
External links
Hotokegaura homepage
Notes
Tourist attractions in Aomori Prefecture
Geography of Aomori Prefecture
Sai, Aomori
Places of Scenic Beauty
Natural monuments of Japan
IUCN Category III
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