Hotokegaura

Hotokegaura is roughly two kilometres of white and pale green tuff on the west coast of the Shimokita Peninsula, worn by wind and waves into spires and walls up to about 90 metres tall. The rock formed from undersea volcanic activity some 20 million years ago. The shapes carry Buddhist names (Nyorai's Head, the Thirteen Buddhas, the Five Hundred Arhats), and the site was designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument in 1941. There are two ways in. Sightseeing boats from Sai Port take about 30 minutes each way and give you about 30 minutes ashore, roughly 90 minutes in all. They run from late April to late October and stay in port when wind and waves are up. The old boat from Wakinosawa made its last run in October 2025. By car, you park on Route 338 and walk down a path that is mostly steps, about 100 metres of drop: around 20 minutes down, longer back up. No train comes anywhere close.