Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Kamui Misaki (Kamui Cape) and Kamui Iwa
かむいみさき
Kamui Iwa is a 41-meter-high rock standing tall from the sea of Shakotan Blue. It is a cape associated with the legends of an Ainu goddess.
Overview
Located at the northwestern tip of the Shakotan Peninsula, this cape features sheer cliffs. Standing 400 meters offshore from the tip is the 41-meter-high 'Kamui Iwa'. It is named after a legend where an Ainu woman named Charenka, abandoned by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, threw herself into the sea; she reportedly cried out, 'If a ship carrying women passes here, it shall not capsize,' and turned into rock. During the Edo period (1691–1855), the Matsumae Clan prohibited women from visiting. The scenery created by the 'Shakotan Blue' sea—designated as Hokkaido's only underwater park—along with Kamui Iwa and the Kamui Misaki Lighthouse, is one of the most stunning views in Hokkaido.
Enshrined deity / legend
Kamui (Ainu deity / Charenka legend)
Highlights
- ・Kamui Iwa standing 41 meters high (400 meters offshore)
- ・Stunning views of Shakotan Blue
- ・Charenka legend (The rock of the Ainu goddess)
- ・Kamui Misaki Lighthouse
Details may change. Please check official sources before visiting.