[Akita Prefecture/Oga Peninsula] Very popular due to the movie "Godzilla-1.0". Shiosezaki at the southwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula is home to Godzilla and Gamera. On the south coast, there is also a SNS-worthy spot “Akita’s Uyuni Salt Lake”

Nyudozaki is located at the northern tip of the Oga Peninsula On the top of a hill with a panoramic view of the Sea of ​​Japan, there is a valuable lighthouse that can be climbed, the Nyudosaki Lighthouse, and on the nearby coast there are ``Shika Otoshi' and ``Oni no Tawara Korogashi ,'' and 40 degrees north latitude. There are monuments, etc. 40 degrees north latitude is the same latitude as Beijing (China), Philadelphia (USA), and even though it is slightly off, New York (USA). Also nearby Oga Onsenkyo , as well as lodging facilities and restaurants where you can enjoy stone-grilled dishes, making it the most popular tourist destination on the Oga Peninsula.

The west coast of the Oga Peninsula has a unique shape with a rocky coastline of steep cliffs and almost no sandy beaches. As a result, there are many strangely shaped rocks such as ``Daisankyo'' and ``Butaijima''

"Shiosezaki" at the southwest end where you can see the battle between Godzilla and Gamera that looks like it's about to begin

Shiosezaki, located at the southwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula, a wave-edged platform , which was originally a rock on the shallow ocean floor that was carved flat by the waves, but it rose slightly and appeared above the sea. Although the terrain is relatively flat, you can see many lumps of rock on top of it.

“Godzilla Rock” is the first thing that catches your eye.

This rock looks like Godzilla even when seen during the day, but its appearance changes suddenly in the evening on a clear day. With the sunset in the background, it looks like it's breathing fire from its mouth, and when the sun enters its mouth, it looks like it's eating fire, and as dusk approaches, it looks like it's disappearing into the sea. To. Even if you're not a Godzilla fan, you'll be able to watch moving scenes unfold right in front of your eyes. As expected, Godzilla is a world famous actor.

``Godzilla Rock'' was named after a local resident who saw the rock dyed in the sunset in 1996, and noticed that the black silhouette of the rock looked like it was breathing fire like Godzilla. That's why it was named. to see the “fire-breathing Godzilla” is around October , and to see the “sunset-eating Godzilla” is around April .

lapilli tuff, which is solidified rock ejected from a volcano 30 million years ago , and the lapilli tuff has been eroded by waves. It is a hard rock called volcanic breccia that remained uncut even when the area was flattened

"Gamera Rock" is aiming for a chance to challenge Godzilla to battle

At Shiosezaki, Gamera is hiding near Godzilla. The battle between Godzilla and Gamera has not yet materialized (Godzilla = Toho, Gamera = Daiei, so a confrontation has not materialized until now. It's an adult situation), but here we will try to challenge Gamera to that battle. turns into a rock and aims at Godzilla.

"Gamera Rock" is "Godzilla Rock" , but is made of lapilli tuff with many holes that makes up the entire Shiosezaki.

"Godzilla's tail rock" that looks just like a tail

``Godzilla's Tail Rock'' was named because the long, thin rock that protrudes from the bedrock resembles ``Godzilla's tail.''

"Godzilla's Tail Rock" was created when volcanic ejecta fell onto soft mud, causing the mud to swell due to its weight. The mud, which was originally soft, became hard mud (mudstone) over many years as large amounts of ash and rocks were piled up on top of it. The area where "Godzilla's Tail Rock" is located was originally the ocean floor, and the soft lapilli tuff was eroded away by the erosion of the waves, leaving the hard mudstone part as "Godzilla's Tail Rock," which rose up and appeared on the ground. It is considered.

"Godzilla Rock," "Gamera Rock," and "Godzilla's Tail Rock" are located in very close locations, but they are all made of different rocks. In addition to these three rocks, Shiosezaki has many other rocks of various shapes. Shiosezaki is a “museum of the earth.”

Precious twin rocks where you can see a glimpse of earth's activities

"Futago Iwa" is located near "Godzilla Rock", and is made up of two similar-shaped rocks standing side by side. This rock is famous not only because of its similar shape, but also because the lava (coarse-grained basalt) that has risen 10 million years later is vertically embedded in the lapilli tuff that was created 30 million years ago. The rock is valuable not only historically but also geologically because it shows traces of dike (rock dyke) and horizontal (rock bed).

"Hokakejima" has been a tourist attraction since the Edo period

Hokakejima is an island in name, but it is actually a large rock connected to land. the "Oga-zu folding screen" drawn in the early Edo period , it is depicted as a complete island and the name "Hokakejima" , so it is thought that it rose up over the course of 400 years and became connected to the land. I am.

It is said that the name ``Hokakejima'' was given because the appearance of the rock resembled the appearance of the Kitamaebune and other sailing ships of the time sailing with their sails spread out. Unlike "Godzilla Rock" or "Gamera Rock," this name has a long history.

"Hokakejima" is a gigantic monolith measuring approximately 30m in height and over 60m in width, and is made of volcanic tuff that is approximately 30 million years old. It is depicted as an island on Google Maps, but when I contacted Oga City Hall, they told me that it has never been an island, even during spring tides.

Hokakejima Google Maps

"Green Tough" is an exposed rock that has turned green due to the earth's activities.

Tateyamazaki is located about 2km east along the coastline (Oga Shiokaze Kaido) from Shiosezaki at the southwest end of the Oga Peninsula Line This place is also known as a treasure trove of strangely shaped rocks.

"Green Tough" is a general term for cliffs with exposed rocks on the slope, rather than individual rocks. It is called Green Tuff because of the green color of the exposed rock, and tuff means tuff. Green Tuff is thought to be a volcanic product 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 large in scale and brightly colored, making it extremely valuable.

In Tateyamazaki, there is a strange rock called ``Tsubaki no Shiraiwa'' Tuff originally has this white color, but green tuff is made of green tuff that is caused by some of the ingredients in the rock changing as it cools down as it erupts from a volcano.

"Candle Rock" changed its shape about 50 years ago

``Candle Rock'' is a long, slender rock that looks like a candle and stands near Green Tuff. was called "Kannon Rock" because it had a face-shaped rock on top of a candle-shaped rock However, due to the seasonal winds, rain, and snow that are unique to the Tohoku region, it weathered and eventually the head part fell off, resulting in the current ``candle rock.''

Very popular on SNS. Photo spot “Akita’s Uyuni Salt Lake” Unosaki Coast

Lastly, we would like to introduce a spot that is not a strange rock, but is currently very popular on social media.

Unosaki Coast is located in the central part of the southern coast of the Oga Peninsula, about 5 km from Tateyamazaki on the Oga Shiokaze Highway and about 5 km from JR Oga Station, and is attracting attention as the "Uyuni Salt Lake of Akita". It's a beautiful coast.

Although Unosaki is called a coast, it is not a beach made of sand. a "wave-edged platform" where a rocky area carved by the waves continues for about 200 meters off the coast , and at low tide, a flat rocky area appears on the sea, and you can walk to the offshore (be careful at low tide). .

The rocky area sinks into the sea, and on sunny days with calm waves, the surrounding scenery is reflected on the sea surface, giving you the chance to take wonderful photos and videos, reminiscent of the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, South America. It is very popular as a photo spot and appears on many social media sites.

On the Unosaki Sea coast, there are strangely shaped rocks such as ``Oni no Sentakuita' ' and ``Azuki Iwa.'' Nowadays, the Unosaki coast of Uyuni Salt Lake has become very popular, but please be sure to stop by when you visit the Unosaki coast.

Shiosezaki/Tateyamazaki/Unosaki Coast＜Information＞

• Phone number: 0185-24-4700 (Oga City Tourism Association)
• URL: Oganavi
• access:
  • Railway/JR Oga Line Take a taxi from Oga Station or rent a car near Oga Station
  • Car: Approximately 50 to 70 minutes from Akita Expressway Showa Oga Peninsula IC

Google Maps

Like Candle Rock, the strange-looking rocks we introduced may lose their current shape tomorrow due to weathering, natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, or human development. Why not come and enjoy the Oga Peninsula today?

Oga Peninsula/Ogata Geopark <Information>

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