[Oga Peninsula, Akita Prefecture] Full of Viewpoints. Oga Peninsula, a Magnificent Park Created by the Earth

The Oga Peninsula was born 20,000 years ago, but was an island 6,000 years ago

The Oga Peninsula. This peninsula, jutting out into the Sea of ​​Japan, emerged from the land approximately 20,000 years ago. It was during the Ice Age. The Oga Peninsula, which was once at the bottom of the sea, became land due to the drop in sea level caused by the increase in ice in the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica. However, as the Ice Age ended and global warming progressed, sea levels rose, and about 6,000 years ago, most of the peninsula sank back into the sea, leaving behind an island offshore. This island became Oga Island, not the Oga Peninsula. 6,000 years ago corresponds to the late Jomon period in Japanese history, and it is said that this was the warmest time of the world, with sea levels 2 to 3 meters higher than they are today.

2,000 years ago, sand filled the strait and it became a peninsula again

The Earth began to cool again about 4,000 years ago. It is said that we are currently in the middle of this process (it has nothing to do with human-caused "global warming"), and as a result, sea levels have been gradually dropping. One theory behind this is that the cause of the drop in sea levels was not cooling, but rather the weight of the increased seawater caused the seafloor to sink slightly, pushing the magma underneath toward the land, resulting in the land rising. The land area increased by the amount of the rise, and the sea level appeared to drop

In any case, the land area of ​​Oga Island grew larger, and the strait connecting it to the mainland narrowed and became shallower. In particular, a sand spit(a long, narrow rise made of sand carried by water currents) developed on the northern part of the island, formed by the accumulation of sand carried by the, and by around 2,000 years ago, it had become connected to the mainland.

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Before reclamation, Hachirogata was the second largest lake in Japan

At that time, the southern part of the Oga Peninsula was not connected to the mainland, and a very shallow sea stretched out before it. Eventually,the Omono River (whose mouth is in Akita City)expanded, and the southern coastline became connected to the mainland. At that time, the shallow sea inland was left behind and became a large lake (a brackish lake / a lake where freshwater and seawater mix). This was LakeHachirogata, which was the second largest lake in Japan after Lake Biwa. However, in 1977 (Showa 52), the opposite side of Lake Hachirogata was reclaimed and turned into land in order to increase agricultural land, so there is now almost no trace of the lake left. The land where Lake Hachirogata was reclaimed was originally the bottom of the sea, so even now the elevation is below 0m.

The Oga Peninsula, where the island and the mainland are connected by a sand spit,a tombolois calledthe Oga Three Mountains (Motoyama/715m, Shinzan/565m, Kenashiyama/617m)andits large clusters of mountain liliesknown forKanpuzan (355m).

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"Ichinomegata" is a national natural monument where water accumulates in the crater

the western partofTogawa BayNearIchinomegata, Ninomegata, andNinomegata. All of these ponds are formed when water accumulates in a maar, an explosion crater. It is estimated that Ichinomegata was formed 60,000 to 80,000 years ago, Sanomegata 20,000 to 24,000 years ago, and Ninomegata somewhere in between.

Toga Bayis also semicircular in shape and is a volcanic crater. This was caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption approximately 420,000 years ago, and the pumice ejected by the eruption is distributed on the high ground around the bay.

a viewpoint on the Oga PeninsulaLagoonbelow and a panoramic view of Toga Bay towards the sea. Ichinomegata Lagoon is designated as a national natural monument, and Sannomegata Lagoon is designated as a natural monument of Akita Prefecture.

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The eastern side is sandy, while the rest of the coast is rocky

The Oga Peninsula was originally part of the Eurasian continent, but became the bottom of the sea before rising and emerging above ground. The land has been piled up over the 4.6 billion years since the Earth was born, creating various geological layers depending on the era in which it was formed. Many rocks with unusual shapes protrude from the western and southern coasts, each with different hardness and color, and upon investigation, some dating back as far as 90 million years have been found. The period 90 million years ago is known as the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs roamed the land

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The Oga Peninsula was inhabited during the Jomon period

believed to date back 15,000 to 35,000 years ago, hasthe Yonegamori archaeological site (Daisen City, Akita Prefecture),been discovered, suggesting that people may have lived on the Oga Peninsula during that period. Considering that people are thought to have migrated to and settled in the Japanese archipelago around 38,000 years ago, it seems that people were present on the Oga Peninsula very early on.

The oldest archaeological site on the Oga Peninsula isthe Ohatadai site,which is estimated to date back to the middle Jomon period, between 4,500 and 6,000 years ago. The Ohatadai site is located near the southern base of the Oga Peninsula, within the grounds of an oil refinery. Therefore, the site itself is not open to the public, but excavated artifacts such as Jomon pottery and stone toolsthe Oga City Historical Materials Repository (formerly Wakimoto Second Elementary School)upon request.

<Artifacts Excavated from the Ohatadai Ruins> INFORMATON

• Facility name: Oga City Historical Materials Storage (former Wakimoto Second Elementary School)
• Address: 156 Karisawa, Wakimoto, Oga City, Akita Prefecture
• Opening hours: 9:00-21:00
• Closed: December 29th to January 3rd
• access:
  • Train: Approximately 50 minutes from Wakimoto Station on the JR Oga Line or approximately 7 minutes by taxi
  • By car: Approximately 40 minutes from Showa Oga Peninsula IC on the Akita Expressway

GOOGLE MAP

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The name Oga is derived from the name of the people who originally lived there

The most widely accepted theory regarding the origin of the name Oga on the Oga Peninsula is that it comes from the name of Onga, the leader of the Emishi who lived in Oga around the time when the Yamato court sent Abe no Hirafu and others from the capital to subdue the Tohoku region,as the Emishi , which was not under their control during the Asuka period. However, folklorist Kunio Yanagita (1875-1962) disagreed, arguing that the name Oga came from the fact that it resembles a "land" floating in the Sea of ​​Japan.

In any case,"Shishiotoshi" (Deer Drop)since Oga was home to so many deer that there is a cliff called"恩荷" and "陸"to represent the readings"男鹿"it seems certain that the characters

The Oga Peninsula is full of attractions and delicious food, including traditional culture represented by the Namahage, its historical sites,the "Daisankyo"andpierButaijima," spectacular scenery created by volcanoes like Ichinomegata, and even stone-grilled cuisine. Recently, the"Godzilla Rock,", andUnosaki Coast, known as "Akita's Uyuni Salt Flats,"have become hugely popular on social media. There are also hot springs. For sightseeing, the "Oga Peninsula Shared Taxi Namahage Shuttle" from JR Oga Station, sightseeing taxis, and rental cars are convenient. The Oga Peninsula is currently experiencing an explosion of excitement, so why not pay it a visit?

<Oga Peninsula Sightseeing Tour> INFORMATION

• Facility name: Ainori Taxi Namahage Shuttle
• Operation period: April 1st to October 31st
• How to use: Reservation required
• Online/Applications must be made by 7:00 PM the day before
• Phone/Applications must be made by 5:00 PM the day before
• Number of people: 1 person and up
• Fare: Oga Station to Nyudozaki 2,500 yen (varies depending on other destinations)
• URL:Oga Peninsula Shared Taxi Namahage Shuttle
• For route buses, please refer to the Oganavi Route Bus Timetable
• By car: It is convenient to take the Showa Oga Peninsula Interchange on the Akita Expressway

GOOGLE MAP

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INFORMATION

• Oganavi
• URL:Oga Navi

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