Ashigezaki Observatory

This fort-like structure on Cape Ashigezaki stands 22 meters above the Pacific, overlooking the Tanesashi Coast and the Michinoku Coastal Trail. During the Edo period it was a watchtower for tracking foreign ships, and in WWII it housed a naval radar station. On clear days the view extends to the Shimokita Peninsula and the Hakkoda Mountains, and this is one of the few spots where you can see both. The name comes from ashige, the Japanese word for dapple-gray, referring to horses that once grazed the surrounding grasslands. Day lilies and Japanese irises dot the grass in summer, and ice cream is available nearby at the Holonbuir Cafe.