Ichimaiiwa Rock

You come round a bend on the road up the Koza River and the whole far bank is one rock. Ichimaiiwa is about 100 meters high and 500 meters wide, a single face of pyroclastic rock left by volcanic activity in southern Kii around 15 million years ago, according to the Nanki Kumano Geopark. It has been a national natural monument since 1941 and is part of the Koza River arc-shaped dike, Wakayama's only entry in Japan's 100 geological sites. There is not much to do here except look at it, and that is the point. The riverbank below gets busy with campers in summer. Local legend says a dog saved the rock from a monster that ate stone, and around April 19 and August 25 a shadow shaped like a huge dog appears on the wall. Michi-no-Eki Ichimaiiwa monolith, beside the rock, has about 20 parking spaces, toilets open 24 hours, and a small cafe serving game burgers made with venison and grilled ayu from the river. It is about 20 minutes by car from Koza Station, or a 30-minute ride on the town bus if you can make its timetable work.