千疊敷

Senjojiki is a great sloping platform of soft Tertiary sandstone on the western edge of Shirahama, where the strata dip gently into the sea and centuries of waves have cut the rock into broad, layered steps. Its name means 'a thousand tatami mats', a nod to the sheer expanse of stone that visitors can walk out across almost to the water's edge. The pale rock takes on warm colour in the late afternoon, making it one of the most popular places on the coast to watch the sun sink into the Pacific, and it sits within a short distance of the Sandanbeki cliffs and Engetsuto island. There is no admission fee and the terrace is open at all hours, though the rock can be slippery when wet.