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In Kashiwazaki located in the southwest part of Niigata prefecture, the coastline eroded by rough waves of the sea of ​​Japan are continued. Among them, the most beautiful landscapes are called “Fukuura Hakkei (Fukuura eight views)”

Those beautiful landscapes are “Daruma rock”, “Cape Banjin”, “Onodachi”, “Kamomegahana”, “Shojo cave”, “Matsugasaki”, “Hijirigahana” and “Ushigakubi”. At there, you can enjoy various kind of landscapes of reefs, capes, caves, cliffs and faults.

In 1271, saint Nichiren enraged Kamakura shogunate government and banished to Sado Island. In 1274, he was pardoned from exile to Sado. On his way to the opposite shore, Teradomari, his boat was carried away by a storm and arrived to Kashiwazaki. Cape Banjin is called “The area of saint Nichiren landed”.

In Kashiwazaki, a tragic love story called “Love story of Sado” is handed down. A young woman of Sado Island, Oben fell in love with Toukichi, who was a shipwright of Kashiwazaki and she came to Kashiwazaki every night by rowing a Tarai Boat. The meeting point for the couple who had close relationship was always under the pine tree of Cape Banjin. This pine tree is in the precincts of Suwa Shrine and called “Obengamatsu (Oben’s pine tree)”.

There is a waterfall flow down from the cliff of Matsugasaki to Oumigawa Beach. This waterfall is also talked about in the tragic love story of “Love story of Sado”. Toukichi started fell fear for Oben’s eccentric behavior of rowing a Tarai Boat every night to see him. And on stormy day, he turned the lights of lighthouse of Cape Banjin off and it was a light that Oben used as a guide. Oben lost the guide and few days later, her body was launched to the coast of Oumigawa Beach. Since the waterfall was falling in that place, this place is called as “Obenga Taki (Oben’s waterfall)”, You can see “Obenga Taki” from Kamomegahana. You can also walk to this waterfall from Oumigawa station by walking the sandy beach.

Oumigawa station on the JR Shinetsu main line is famous for “The station closest to the Sea of Japan”. The outside of the platform to Niigata is just next the sea and Oumigawa beach resort is just in front of the station. On the day of heavy weather, the wave break on the shore to reach the platform. On sunny day, you can see Sado Island. Also, the sun set into the Sea of Japan is very beautiful. The last episode of a famous drama of 1993, “High school teacher” was filmed at there.

In 1878, when the Meiji Emperor visited Hokuriku, he stopped at there and admired its beautiful scenery. After that this area was named as Onodachi. In Japanese, “Onodachi” means the outside location where a royal person, such as the Emperor stopped by. This place is maintained as “Onodachi Park” for now. There is Kujiranami Beach Resort near the park. Many people from Kanto area also visit this beach. From the observatory platform of Onodachi Park, you can see Sado Island look over the Sea of Japan, and also you can enjoy beautiful scenery such as Kashiwazaki Marina at right, a secret mountain Mt. Yoneyama and the marine shoreline of Kamomegahana on left.

There is a cave just under the Onodachi Park, at the eastern end of Kujiranami Beach. Once upon the time, a red-horned demon lived in this cave and people are struggled by him. There is a legend that people in the village asked God of Cape Banjin and made that demon run away. This cave is called “Oniana (A hole of demon)”.

The landscape of secret mountain Mt. Yoneyama and Yoneyama Ohashi Bridge from Kamomegahana is a representative landscape of Kashiwazaki. In recent years, Kamomegahana is called as Kashiwazaki Two Lover’s Point, and many couples visit there to fulfil their love.

Yoneyama Ohashi Bridge is a beautiful, red color bridge that located on Route 8, which connect Kashiwazaki and Joetsu. Its length is about 279m and height from the ground is about 53m. When you look the view of Yoneyama Ohashi Bridge together with secret mountain Mt.Yoneyama as a background, from Kamomegahana, the contrast of blue Sea of Japan and red Yoneyama Ohashi Bridge is so beautiful as a painting. The view of Yoneyama Ohashi Bridge from Oumigawa station is huge and magnificent. Also, from Yoneyama Ohashi Bridge, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of “Kamomegahana” which is one of Fukuura Hakkei.

On the coast of Oumigawa Beach, there is a large cave about 80m in depth made by rough waters of the Sea of Japan. About 20,000 bats inhabited in this cave. This is rare example of various bats are mixed and inhabited together. The rock color of the cave is similar to the imaginary animal “Shojo” that has red face, so this cave is called as “Shojo cave”. From the viewpoint of protection of the bat, you cannot enter the cave, however, in the summer tourism season, you can go near the cave by a sightseeing boat.

The cliff of Tazukagahana is called “Ushigakubi (Cow’s neck)” because it looks like the appearance of cow drinking water while lying down. On Ushigakubi, you can see an academically unusual earth faults which curved and broken between upper and lower parallel stratums. This stratum is called “intraformational fold” and it is said to be the largest in the East.

Access to Kamomegahana Observatory (Kashiwazaki Two Lover’s Point)

From Tokyo

It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes from JR Tokyo Station to JR Nagaoka Station by the Joetsu Shinkansen. Transfer at JR Nagaoka Station to JR Shinetsu Main Line, and from JR Nagaoka Station to JR Omigawa Station it takes about 1 hour.

From Osaka

It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from JR Osaka Station to JR Tsuruga Station by limited express train. It takes about 2 hours from JR Tsuruga Station to JR Joetsu-Myoko Station by Hokuriku Shinkansen. At JR Joetsu Myoko Station, transfer to Echigo Tokimeki Railway (Myoko Haneuma Line) and it takes about 20 minutes to Naoetsu Station on Echigo Tokimeki Railway. At Naoetsu Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway, transfer to the JR Shinetsu Main Line and get to JR Omigawa Station in about 40 minutes.

It takes about 30 minute-walk from JR Omigawa Station to the Kamomegahana Observatory (Kashiwazaki Two Lover’s Point).