Whale Viewing Road
Whale Viewing Road
Starting in Oki Bay, follow the National Road 321 to the south. Next, take the Prefectural Road 27 at the Iburi Fork to make your way through the town of Iburi, and walk along the beach to finally arrive in Kubotsu.
Oki Bay is a beautiful, white sand beach that accompanies a pine tree forest, and is a popular surfing spot for both local surfers and those from other prefectures. This sandy beach is also used by the endangered loggerhead turtles as a nesting site so its wonderful nature is preserved.
The final destination of Kubotsu was a famous fishing port for whaling back in the Hansei era. Back then fin whale, sei whale, hump‐back whale and other catches could be found in this area nearly everyday. However the whale pods moved further and further away due to overhunting and the whaling business suffered.
Whale Viewing Road（9.7km）
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Spots to photograph
If you wish to receive a certificate, please take a photo that includes yourself at the designated photo point for each course.
Nearby sightseeing spots
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1
Oki BeachThe pure white sand and green forest of this beautiful beach spreads over 1.6 km, following a gentle curve. The pretty sand is full of fine pieces of shell and coral, and it is the perfect scene to serve as the eastern entrance of Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park. The beach has become more popular recently as a surfing point and while many surfers from both within the prefecture and abroad visit, the endangered loggerhead turtle also ventures on the beach to lay eggs. The mother sea turtles come onto the sand between May and August to search for a nesting ground. However, they are so picky, that if the beach is polluted with trash or drift, if it is too bright, or if it is too loud, they won’t even come onto the beach, or they may leave without laying eggs. Make sure you are careful and protective when you spot a sea turtle.
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2
Oki Evacuation TowerIt is said that if a Tsunami in Tosashimizu city is ever triggered by a Nankai Trough earthquake, it would measure up to 34 m, the biggest in Japan's history. In the Oki district, considering the biggest Tsunami so far, the height to the roof of this evacuation tower is 19 m. The evacuation tower is located along National Road 321 (also known as Sunny Road) and built in a cultivated field, so it stands out. In case of a tsunami, evacuate immediately and protect yourself.
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3
Kubotsu Whaling (Kubotsu Port)Back in the Hansei era, the waters around Tosa were whaling grounds and places like Kubotsu, Saga, Tsuro in the Aki area, and Ukitsu were famous for whaling. Back then fin whale, sei whale, hump‐back whale and other catches could be found in this area nearly everyday. However the whale pods moved further and further away due to overhunting and the whaling business suffered. Now the areas are putting efforts into sightseeing as a place where you can see whales in the wild, with activities like whale watching in the Pacific Ocean.
