Road to Tatsukushi

Nearby sightseeing spots

• 1

  Minokoshi

  The name "Minokoshi" is said to come from a legend that Kubo-Daishi left this place unseen in the past.There are two routes from Tatsukushi: one is by Glass-Bottom Boat and the other is on foot along the promenade.Fossil ripple marks, a national natural treasure, can be seen over a wide area along the coast.Because of its unique shape, it has been given names such as "Mermaid Palace" and "Love Rock," and offers an impressive landscape.From the viewing platform in the middle of the promenade, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of Tatsukushi.

• 2

  The Seashell Gallery

  In 2003, the Architectural Institute of Japan and DOCOMOMOjapan recognized the building as one of the top 100 cultural assets to be preserved for future generations.It was designed by pioneering female architect Masako Hayashi.The museum exhibits 50,000 shells of about 3,000 species, including the three treasures of Japan, the Teramachidakara, Otomedakara, and Nippon Dakara, the largest of which is over 1 meter in length, and the smallest of which is less than 1 mm in diameter.

• 3

  Sakurahama

  Located in Tatsukushi, this is a designated beach for the city of Tosashimizu.It was said that in the old days, the beach was covered with pink shells called Sakura-gai (cherry blossom shells), giving the entire beach a cherry blossom color, hence the name Sakurahama.Although it is no longer cherry blossom-colored, the white sandy beach is beautiful, and sea turtles come to lay their eggs in the summer.Every year on the first Sunday of July, the Sakurahama Beach is opened for the beach-going season, attracting a large crowd of people.

• 4

  Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park, Tatsukushi Visitor Center Uminowa

  This is the visitor center of the Ministry of the Environment, that introduces the rich nature of Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park.The name "Uminowa" means "(to connect) the sea with people, nature with people, and people with people" in Tatsukushi.The sea, which is home to 105 species of coral and 384 species of nudibranchs, the beauty of the earth's formations of "strange rocks" and rich nature spread out before one' s eyes.

• 5

  Ashizuri Aquarium Satoumi

  The new Ashizuri Aquarium Satoumi is an adventure museum of the sea and nature.Visitors can enjoy exhibits that are integrated with the rich nature of Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park, such as a large aquarium linked to the beautiful sea of Tatsukushi that spreads out in front of their eyes, and a virgin forest area where they can feel the nature of Ashizuri firsthand.There are also cafes and stores overlooking the ocean.

• 6

  Ashizuri Kaiteikan

  This is a facility where you can easily see the underwater world of the Tatsukushi Marine Park in your everyday clothes.From the observatory, where visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, a spiral staircase leads down to the sea floor at a depth of 7 meters, where colorful fish swimming happily around table corals await.Through the large 60-cm diameter underwater windows in all directions, visitors can view porcupinefish swimming lazily, the beautiful blue neon damselfish, and Girella, the king of rock fishing.Depending on the season, it is possible to see migratory fish such as sardines and silver-stripe round herring, and if you are lucky, you can even see yellowtails and squids that come here for these migratory fish.The underwater world is ever-changing, so visitors will never get tired of watching it.Enjoy a relaxing time under the sea.