Sagakei Gorge

One of Japan's Three Great Gorges and the only one shaped by ocean waves rather than a river. It sits on a tip of Miyato Island in Oku-Matsushima, where the Pacific has carved cliffs into shapes resembling elephants, turtles, scrolls, and partial maps of the Japanese archipelago. Pine trees root into vertical rock faces, emerald caves hide below waterline, and marine birds crowd the ledges. In summer, large white lilies push through rock crevices while white herons hunt for fish from the cliffs. Regular pleasure cruises from the small port beside the Aomina Visitor Center run year-round and bring you within arm's reach of the formations.