A superb 270-degree panoramic view
Cape Ashizuri located in Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park is a cape that is the southernmost point of the island of Shikoku that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. It has also obtained 2 stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japon. The scene of the dynamic Pacific expanding 270 degrees as seen from the observation point will have you see the arch of the horizon and feel the roundness of the Earth so that you can realize the grandness of Mother Nature.
Sense the deep blue sea of the tropics and the spectacular Kuroshio
The nature trail from the parking lot is recommended. First off, there is the Hakusan Doumon which is a rock on the beautiful ocean with a hole through it. Japan’s largest cave entrance measures 16m in height, 17m in width and 15m in depth. Going down the trail, you can hear the spectacular sound of waves from the Kuroshio hitting the area and feel the process of it carving through the rock face over eons. You will reach the entrance to Cape Ashizuri in about 10 minutes on the trail, and when you walk on the left side of the path in front of the observation point, you will come across the Camellia Tunnel which is ideally seen between mid-January and the end of February. Traverse the tunnel of subtropical flora while viewing the sea and then you will encounter the Tengu-no-Hana point where you can spot the lighthouse. Getting back to the trail, head for the observation point. From there, you can view the chalk-white Ashizuri Lighthouse, Kongoufuku-ji Temple and the wonderful windswept forest. In back of the observation point, there is a bronze statue of Tosa-born“John” Manjiro Nakahama who became the first Japanese person to visit the United States 150 years ago. Beyond that point, there is Ashizuri Lighthouse on top of the 80m-high cliff which since its opening in 1914 has become a symbol of the cape while looking over the safety of offshore ships coming and going. At a height of 18m and boasting Japan’s best luminescence, it has also been selected as one of the nation’s top 50 lighthouses.