Sea Arches of Japan

By Toru Moriyasu

I am a NABS member from Japan and I greatly enjoyed meeting other NABS members at the 2015 NABS Rally in Escalante. Japan is an island country, so there are many sea arches here, and I would like to share some of them. Generally, they are not very large.


NABSQNO 54S-392039-3885693 is an arch rock near Ukishima in Chiba Prefecture. There is a shrine on the Ukishima island next to the arch rock, and we can land there once in a year when a sacred festival is held.


NABSQNO 54S-374119-3888470 is Umanosedoumon in Kanagawa Prefecture. This area is a bathing beach and in summer many people visit here to enjoy swimming. The photo below is the top of this arch. It is prohibited to walk on it.


NABSQNO 54S-295596-3854128 is Meganeccho in Shizuoka Prefecture. It looks like a magnifying glass, or like Godzilla! In the same area there is a famous sea cave, Tensoudou (see below).


NABSQNO 54S-294833-3852422 is another sea arch near Meganeccho and Tensoudou, with me in the foreground.


NABSQNO 54S-295596-3851220 is the sea cave Tensoudou, with a tour boat going under the arch.


NABSQNO 54S-293168-3844185 is Senganmon in Shizuoka Prefecture, in the same area as Meganeccho and Tensoudou. A tour boat goes through this arch.


NABSQNO 53S-686992-3828085 is Hiinosekimon in Aichi Prefecture. It is made of sedimentary rock.


NABSQNO 53S-531185-3727842 is Engetsuto in Wakayama Prefecture. The span of the opening is about 9 meters and the height of the entire rock is 25 meters. This area is a famous tourist resort, with many tourists in high season.


NABSQNO 52S-628231-3736269 is Hanagurise in Fukuoka Prefecture. The height of opening is about 10 meters. The arch is made of basalt.


NABSQNO 52R-385422-2932167 is Manzamou in Okinawa Prefecture. The height of the cliff is about 20 meters.


NABSQNO 51R-730446-2749088 is the arch on Sunayama Beach on Miyakojima Island in Okinawa Prefecture. The sea in this area is especially beautiful.