Aomori’s Hotokegaura: The Most Picturesque Spot on the Shimokita Peninsula

Hotokegaura

Left: Nyorai-no-kubi; right: Tenryūiwa.

Hotokegaura is a natural rock formation on the west coast of the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. Facing the Tsugaru Straits, it has been carved out by the rough waves and harsh weather conditions associated with the body of water. The site consists of a series of green and white volcanic tuff spanning some two kilometers and includes bluffs up to 90 meters in height.

Surrounded by green trees and the deep blue sea, the scene brings to mind a gathering of the Rakan, the Buddha’s disciples. Many of the gigantic rocks have been named for aspects of Buddhism and the formation as a whole has come to be called Hotokegaura, or “Buddha inlet.”

Access: 45 minutes by car from Ōma.

(Banner photo: Hotokegaura, two kilometers of strangely shaped rocks. Information courtesy of the Aomori Prefectural Government’s Aptinet Aomori Sightseeing Guide.)