Cape Shiosezaki, located on the southwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula, where Godzilla and Gamera live, and Unosaki Coast, also known as Akita's Uyuni Salt Flats (Akita Prefecture)

At the northern tip of the Oga PeninsulaNyudozaki Cape. Perched atop a hill offering panoramic views of the Sea of ​​Japan, stands the rare Nyudozaki Lighthouse, which visitors can climb. Nearby, the coast"Shikaotoshi"and"Oni no Tawara Korogashi," as well as a monument marking 40 degrees north latitude. 40 degrees north latitude is the same latitude as Beijing (China), Philadelphia (USA), and, just slightly off, New York (USA). Also nearby is theOga Onsenkyo hot spring resort, offering natural hot springs, accommodations, and restaurants serving stone-grilled cuisine, making it the most popular tourist destination on the Oga Peninsula.

The western coast of the Oga Peninsula has a unique shape, with a coastline of towering cliffs and rocks, and almost no sandy beaches. As a result,"Daisankyo" (Great Pier)and"Butaijima" (Stage Island), which are rocks that are tens of millions of years old and have been eroded by waves.

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Cape Shiosezaki, located at the southwestern tip, where you can see the battle between Godzilla and Gamera about to begin

Shiosezaki, located at the southwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula,a wave-cut platform (wave-cut shelf), originally formed when shallow seabed rocks were flattened by waves and then slightly uplifted, making it visible above sea level. Although the terrain is relatively flat, several rugged rock formations can be seen on top of it.

"Godzilla Rock"is definitely the first thing that catches your eye.

This rock resembles Godzilla even when viewed normally during the day, but in the evening on a sunny day, its appearance changes dramatically. With the sunset as the backdrop, it looks as if it is spewing fire from its mouth, and when the sun enters its mouth, it looks as if it is eating fire, and as dusk approaches, it appears as if it is disappearing into the sea. Even if you're not a Godzilla fan, you'll enjoy watching this moving scene unfold before your eyes forever. Godzilla is truly a world-famous actor

"Godzilla Rock"was named by a local person who saw the rock bathed in the sunset one day in 1996 (Heisei 8). The rock, silhouetted against the sky, looked like Godzilla breathing fire, and so they named it. The best time to see"fire-breathing Godzilla" is around October, and"Godzilla eating the sunset" is around April.

, which is formed from rocks that erupted from a volcano 30 million years ago and solidified. Thevolcanic breccia tuffrock that remains intact even after the volcanic breccia tuff has been eroded flat by wavesvolcanic brecciais a hard rock called

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"Gamera Rock" is looking for an opportunity to challenge Godzilla to a fight

At Cape Shiosezaki, Gamera is hiding near Godzilla. The battle between Godzilla and Gamera has not yet happened (Godzilla = Toho, Gamera = Daiei, so the showdown has not yet happened. It's an adult matter), but here Gamera has turned into a rock and is aiming at Godzilla in preparation for the battle

"GodzillaGameraRock," which is made of hard rock, "Unlike

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"Godzilla's Tail Rock" that looks just like a tail

"Godzilla's Tail Rock"got its name because the thin, long rock protruding from the bedrock resembles "Godzilla's tail."

Godzilla's Tail Rock was formed when volcanic ejecta rained down on soft mud, causing the mud to pile up under its weight. The originally soft mud was layered with large amounts of ash and rocks over a long period of time, turning it into hard mud (mudstone). The area where Godzilla's Tail Rock is located was originally the seabed, and it is believed that the soft volcanic lapilli tuff was worn away by the erosion of waves, leaving only the hard mudstone as Godzilla's Tail Rock, which then rose to the surface

"Godzilla Rock," "Gamera Rock," and "Godzilla's Tail Rock" are located very close to each other, yet they are all made of different types of rock. In addition to these three rocks, Shiosezaki is full of rocks of various shapes. Shiosezaki"art museum of the Earth."is truly an

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The precious "Twin Rocks" where you can see a glimpse of Earth's activity

"Futago-iwa" (Twin Rocks)are located near "Godzilla-iwa" (Godzilla Rock) and consist of two similarly shaped rocks standing side by side. These rocks are famous not only for their striking resemblance, but also for their historical and geological significance, as they show traces of lava (coarse-grained basalt) that rose 10 million years ago intruding vertically (dike) and horizontally (sill) into 30 million-year-old volcanic lacustrine tuff.

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Fukake Island has been a tourist attraction since the Edo period

"Hokakejima" (帆掛島)painted in the early Edo periodthe "Ogazu Byobu" (Oga Folding Screen), it is depicted as a complete island and is also named"Hokakejima,"so it is thought that it rose and became connected to the mainland over the course of 400 years.

The name "Fukake Island" is said to have been given to the rock because its shape resembles the shape of a sailing ship, such as the Kitamae-bune, sailing with its sails unfurled. Unlike "Godzilla Rock" or "Gamera Rock," this name has a long history

Fukake Island is a gigantic monolith about 30 meters high and over 60 meters wide, made of volcanic tuff that is about 30 million years old. It is shown as an island on Google Maps, but when I inquired with Oga City Hall, they told me that it has never been an island, even during high tides

Hokakejima Island Google Maps

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"Green Tuff" is an exposed rock that has turned green due to Earth's activity

about 2km east of Shiosezaki, the southwesternmost point of the Oga Peninsula, along the coastline (Oga Shiokaze Kaido)Tateyamazaki. This area is also known as a treasure trove of unusual rock formations.

"Green tuff"is not a single rock formation, but rather a general term for cliffs where rock is exposed on a slope. It is called green tuff because the exposed rock is green in color, and "tuff" refers to tuffaceous rock. Green tuff is thought to be volcanic ejecta from 21 million years ago. There are many places on the Sea of ​​Japan side where green tuff is exposed, but the one at Tateyamazaki is particularly valuable because of its large scale and vivid color.

At Tateyamazaki,"Tsubaki no Shiraiwa" (Camellia White Rock), which is made of white tuff. Tuff is naturally this white color, but green tuff is green because some of the components in the rock change when it cools during volcanic eruption.

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"Candle Rock" changed shape about 50 years ago

"Candle Rock"is a tall, slender rock resembling a candle, located near Green Tuff. Until about 50 years ago, this rock was called"Kannon Rock". However, weathering caused by the seasonal winds, rain, and snow unique to the Tohoku region eventually caused the top part to fall off, resulting in the current "Candle Rock."

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A photogenic spot on SNS: Unosaki Coast, "Akita's Uyuni Salt Flats"

Finally, although it's not a strange rock formation, we'd like to introduce a spot that is currently very popular on social media

Unosaki Beachis located in the central part of the southern coast of the Oga Peninsula, about 5km from Tateyama Cape along the Oga Shiokaze Highway and about 5km from JR Oga Station."Akita's Uyuni Salt Flats."It is a beautiful beach that has attracted attention as

Although Unosaki is a coastline, it's not a sandy beach.a "wave-cut platform", and at low tide, flat rocky areas appear above the sea, allowing you to walk out into the ocean (be sure to check the tide times).

The rocks sink into the sea, and on clear, calm days the surrounding scenery is reflected on the water's surface, creating a chance to take beautiful photos and videos that resemble those of the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, South America. This photogenic spot is extremely popular and often appears on social media

Unosaki Beach is home"Oni no Sentakuita" (Devil's Washboard)and"Azukiiwa" (Red Bean Rock). Although it has nowof the "Uyuni Salt Flats"at Unosaki Beach, be sure to stop by these rocks when you visit Unosaki Beach.

Cape Shiose, Cape Tateyama, and Unosaki Coast <Information>

• Phone number: 0185-24-4700 (Oga City Tourism Association)
• URL:Oga Navi
• access:
  • Train: Take a taxi from Oga Station on the JR Oga Line, or rent a car near Oga Station
  • By car: Approximately 50 to 70 minutes from Showa Oga Peninsula IC on the Akita Expressway

Google Maps

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Like the Candle Rock, the strange rock formations we have introduced may disappear tomorrow due to weathering, natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, or even human development. Why not come and enjoy the Oga Peninsula now?

Oga Peninsula and Ogata Geopark<Information>

• Oga Peninsula/Ogata Geopark
• URL:Oga Peninsula and Ogata Geopark

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