Jodogahama Beach (Pure Land Coast of Sanriku)

Category: National Coastal Scenic Beauty & Oceanic Geopark | Location: Hitachihamacho, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture

Resting at the center of Sanriku Fukko National Park along the Pacific coast in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, Jodogahama ('Pure Land Beach') presents one of Japan's most visually stunning marine compositions, designated as a Place of National Scenic Beauty. The dramatic shoreline was forged approximately 52 million years ago during the Paleogene period, when volcanic eruptions formed jagged spires of pristine white rhyolite rock. These chalk-white monolithic needles rise sharply out of a sheltered, crystal-clear emerald-green bay, crowned with resilient evergreen Japanese red pines (Nambu Akamatsu) clinging bravely to high rocky crevices. The beach's evocative name dates back to the 1680s during the early Edo period, when a revered Buddhist monk named Reikyo Ryuko from Joan-ji Temple first gazed upon the tranquil cove. Overwhelmed by its divine harmony, he famously exclaimed: 'It is truly just like the Pure Land of Paradise (Gokuraku Jodo)!'—giving the cove its enduring name. Sheltered by offshore sea stacks that break incoming Pacific swells, the white pebble beach enjoys extraordinarily gentle waters, ranking consistently among Japan's Top 88 Bathing Beaches and Top 100 Shorelines. The quintessential marine adventure at Jodogahama is embarking on a Sappa-bune—a nimble, traditional flat-bottomed wooden fishing skiff piloted by local boatmen. As the boat weaves between towering sea stacks, swarms of black-tailed gulls (Umineko) swoop down to catch crackers tossed from passengers' hands. The excursion culminates inside the mystical Blue Cave (Ao no Dokutsu / Hachinohe Hole), a narrow sea cavern accessible only by small boat, where morning sunlight refracts through crystalline ocean water to illuminate the dark rock vaults in an ethereal, glowing turquoise and sapphire blue.