Nabetsuru-iwa Rock located in the offing to the south of Okushiri Harbor on Okushiri Island in Hokkaido is the symbol of this island. It was named because its center was hollowed by sea erosion to form a shape like nabetsuru (handle of a pot). It is lit up from 7:00 to 10:00 at night and creates a fantastic view. You can view it from the observatory on the island. It may be nice to view this natural work of art and think about the power of nature for some time.

Eboshi Rock (Eboshi: formal head gear worn by Japanese men from the Heian period to the modern era) is a 15m-high rock on the Chigasaki Coast of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is situated in the center of the 30 Ubashima Islands, and lies 1.2km off the coast.

Eboshi Rock is estimated to have been formed around 3~6 million years ago. The layer around Eboshi Rock is the oldest in the Chigasaki area, and seems to be an elevated layer that had accumulated at the bottom of the ocean.

The sea around Eboshi Rock has provided good fishing grounds for a long time, and there were even struggles between the fishermen of Izu and the local fishermen of Owada in the Edo period.

The tip of Eboshi Rock used to be much more like an 'eboshi' than today. The rock had its long tail to the west. However, that tip was lost when the rock was used as target practice by the U.S. army after the war.


Eboshi Rock is still loved by the people of Shounan, and is the symbol of Chigasaki.

Tarumi Waterfall is a rarely seen kind of waterfall because it runs from a cliff directly into the sea.  It is located between the towns of Wajima and Suzu in Ishikawa Prefecture, and is an outstanding feature of the 2km-long Sosogi shoreline.

The head of the waterfall is 35m high. The waterfall usually runs down the cliff into the sea like a white thread and never stops, even in mid-summer.

On windy winter days, however, the view completely changes; spray does not fall into the sea but into the sky! This makes it a so-called 'Upside-down Waterfall'. Flowers of waves splash in the sea and the waterfall goes up to heaven like a dragon; it really is like a scene from fantasy.

There is a walkway near the waterfall that you can enjoy walking along. But, if you see the 'Upside-down Waterfall', it means it's a very windy day, so you should be careful.

Zanpamisaki is a cape that projects from the northernmost end of Yomitani-son in Okinawa Prefecture.

The cliffs around the cape are about 30m high and stretch for about 2km. The cape lighthouse is a 30m-tall white concrete tower constructed in 1974. Once infamous as a hazardous spot for ships, the cape is lashed by wild and sorrowful waves. Contrary to its menacing image, this spot is both popular and famous for diving and fishing.

From the tip of the cape, the Kelama Islands and Iye Island can be seen, and the sunset views are particularly astounding. The Zanpamisaki Rest Area in front of the cape welcomes visitors with a huge 7m-high 'zanpa' lion, that forms a landmark for the cape.

The contrasting blue of the sea with the whiteness of the lighthouse, accompanied by a beautiful sunset over the Higashi-Shinakai (East Shina Sea) is simply stunning.