Bentenjima Island and Ojaura Seashore

Bentenjima Island is a craggy rock just off the Ojaura seashore, marked by a red torii gate that leads to a small shrine dedicated to Hakujabenten, the white snake goddess of water, music, and art. A local folk tale tells of snakes who lured away a fisherman's daughters but rewarded his perseverance with prosperity. Visitors leave eggs as offerings. At low tide, the geology becomes the main attraction: Bentenjima is a classic mud diapir, where sediment has pushed up through fractured mudstone and sandstone along fault lines. It is one of the best examples of this geological formation in Japan. In March and August, a low-tide window allows you to walk out to the island.