Shimamui Coast

Selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 most beautiful stretches of coastline, the waters off the Shimamui Coast on the Shakotan Peninsula are strikingly clear and beautiful. After passing through a tunnel, visitors reach the Shimamui Coast Observation Platform, where they can view spectacular scenery that includes precipitous cliffs, huge rocks, and an incredibly blue sea—the sea that gave rise to the name “Shakotan Blue.” From the Observation Platform, it is possible to walk down a trail to the seashore, although you need to walk carefully because the trail is quite narrow. In early summer, the Hokkaido Daylily (the official flower of Shakotan) is in bloom, which is well worth seeing too.