Shakotan Peninsula and Kamui Misaki

On August 2, 2012 Katsuo and Sumiko Kimura took us to see the ocean views from the tip of Shakotan Peninsula called Kamui Misaki. Like so many views overlooking the ocean in Japan this one was also breathtakingly beautiful. There is a stone at the entrance describing the place, but there were another two placards near the entrance to the very end of the peninsula. The one in the photograph warns people from bringing any women past this point. Being an island nation Japan has many fishermen and the ones here believed that to bring a woman past this point would result in tragedy in a future fishing expedition. Then a new 'governor' was assigned to this area. He brought his entire family and had orders on how to conduct business in Hokkaido the frontier area of Japan. When the locals attempted to prevent his bringing his entire family past this point to see the vistas, he protested, explained that his orders included his family and proceeded to the end of Kamui Misaki. In his trips that followed there were no incidents and since that time women have been allowed to see the views as well. Unfortunately we were unable to go to the extreme tip due to recent rock/mud slides and the danger of more occurring. But the walk is well worth the views of the emerald green and topaz blue ocean and the contrasting rugged rocks of the shoreline.

Click on Shakoten Peninsula and Kamui Misaki to see photographs on Picasa.