This article is #3 of 4 exploring the different areas of the Tanesashi Coast. It covers the area from the Yodo Pine Grove to the Tanesashi Natural Lawn.
A Seaside Pine Grove
Continue along the Shirahama Beach from the Osukan Coast and leave the wide expanse of the sand. Pass the line of rugged rocks at Cape Tamura and the secluded fishing port of Fukakubo to Yodo-no-Matsubara, the Yodo Pine Grove. Here rows of 100-year-old pine trees stand before you as there branches sway in the sea salt wind. Glimpses of the rough coastline and the face of Shira-Iwa rock, whitened by the droppings of Japanese cormorants, peek through between the pines. Like an ink painting, it truly is a scene of Japanese beauty. A stroll along the hilly, tree-lined walking trail is invigorating
Covered in snow and catching glimpses of the Shira-Iwa Rock in the distance, the beautiful scenery is just like a scene from a Japanese ink painting.
Shiraiwa
This roughly 20-meter-tall boulder appears to float on the sea near Fukakubo Fishing Port. It earned its name, which means “white boulder,” from being whitened by the droppings of cormorants. The beautiful scenery, in which the white boulder, blue sea, and green pines are woven together, is a splendid experience that can only be had by visiting this site on foot.
The surface of the boulder also has parts that are covered by moss, which gives the visitors a sense of the passage of time. Its other name is Myojin-iwa, which means “Great God Boulder.”
- Address:
- Akako, Oaza Same-machi, Hachinohe City
- Access:
- By car: 40 minutes from Hachinohe Station, 30 minutes from downtown Hachinohe, 40 minutes from Hachinohe IC on Hachinohe Expressway
(To Fukakubo Gyoko)
By train: 20-minute walk from Mutsu-Shirahama Station on JR Hachinohe Line, 40-minute walk from Tanesashi Kaigan Station on JR Hachinohe Line
By bus: 10-minute walk from Tanesashi Kaigan Sightseeing Bus Umineko – “Fukakubo” stop - Parking:
- No
The Tanesashi Natural Grass Lawn
When you exit Yodo-no-Matsubara, the view opens up immediately. Before your eyes spreads a grassy area of gently undulating hills. This is the Tanesashi Natural Grass Area, the scenery that comes to mind when people think of the Tanesashi Coast. The contrast in the landscape between the rugged, rocky shoreline and the beautiful grass creates the exotic feeling of being on the Scottish coast. From early summer until autumn, seasonal flowers such as nikko-kisuge (day lily) and hamagiku (Nippon daisy) add color to the solid green expanse of grass.
You can forget the passing of time as you watch the ocean while listening to the sound of the waves. Feel the way being surrounded by the grass can soothe your five senses.
From May through to September, yoga sessions are held every Saturday morning on the Tanesashi Coast. Stretch and relax your body as you take in the beautiful natural scenery and listen to the waves crash in the distance. There is truly no better, more relaxing, or more refreshing way to start the day.
