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.

Mt Washu is located in Shimotsuitanoura, Kurashiki district, Okayama Prefecture. More precisely, it lies at the southern tip of the Kojima peninsula.

It is called Mt 'Washu' because, from the northeast side, it resembles an eagle ('washi') spreading its wings. The mountain is famous for its view of islands and the Seto Ohashi Bridge in the Seto Inland Sea. Even Nanba Tendo, a haiku poet, claims: 'I want the whole mountain as a souvenir.'

At night the Seto Ohashi Bridge is illuminated making a fascinating sight. In clear weather the mountains of Shikoku, on the opposite shore, can be seen from the observatory tower. In 1934 Mt Washi was designated as the Setonaikai National Park and in 2004 it was selected as a special region within the park.

Ago Bay lies to the south of the Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture. It is the biggest landlocked bay in the Shima Peninsula and has a saw-toothed coastline. Big and small, innumerable islands like Kashiko Island are very impressive.

Ago Bay is famous for pearl culture and, in the early Showa period, it was called Pearl Bay. Ago Bay is where a genuine round pearl was invented for the first time in the world, and it is said 'Ago Bay is the home of the pearl'.

The name 'Ago' dates back to the time of the Emperor Tenmu. In prehistoric times, many peoples lived here. There are many stone age tools found here, which were brought from remote Shinshu, evidence of the movements of prehistoric man in Japan.

Ago Bay appears at the beginning of Japanese history, and is a very time-honored sea. The pearl rafts are charming sights, unique to this district and a pleasure for visitors to see.