5 Recommended sightseeing spots in Noto Kongo! From famous places depicted in ukiyoe paintings of the Edo period to places that appear in the climactic scenes of suspense dramas, we introduce you to the best places to visit in Noto Kongo.

Noto Kongo, located in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of the representative landscapes of the Noto Peninsula. The 29km coastline from Fukuura Port to Cape Sekinohana is filled with caves, steep cliffs, and strangely shaped rocks created by the rough seas of the Sea of Japan.

Ganmon of Noto Kongo

Ganmon is a 6m wide, 15m high, and 60m deep cave created by erosion from the rough waves of the Sea of Japan. Nearby is the Fudo Falls and the 27m-tall Takanosu Rock. Ganmon, Fudo Falls, and Takanosu Rock are also depicted in the “Rokujuyoshu Meisho Zue” by Hiroshige Utagawa, an ukiyo-e artist from the Edo period.

Loom Rock (Hatagu Iwa)

Hatagu iwa (Loom Rock) consists of two large and small rocks that lie close together in the sea and are connected by a shimenawa rope. Legend has it that in ancient times, when the god of textiles was attacked by bandits, he threw a loom into the sea and it turned into a rock. The sunset over the horizon is a spectacular sight.

World’s Longest Bench

At Masuhoura Beach, there is a bench with a total length of about 460m, which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records, and is called the “World’s Longest Bench.” The beach is also famous for the many small shells such as pink cherry shells (Nitidotellina nitidula) washed up on the beach from November to March of the following year.

Yase Cliff

“Yase Cliff” is a cliff that became the stage of Seicho Matsumoto’s masterpiece “Zero Focus”. It is one of the most popular spots in Noto Kongo. By the way, “Yase” means “thin” in Japanese, and it is said that the name “Yase” was given because standing on a cliff gives you a frightening feeling that your body will become thin. The view of the Sea of Japan from the 35m high cliff is worth seeing.

Yoshitsune’s Boat Hidden

There is a promenade along the Yase Cliff, and you can see the cove with the cliff where Yoshitsune and Benkei hid 48 small boats when they were chased by their older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo at the end of the Heian period (12th century). This cove is called “Yoshitsune’s Funakakushi (Yoshitsune’s Boat Hidden).”

Access to the Noto Kongo (Ganmon)

From Tokyo

It takes about 3 hours from JR Tokyo Station to JR Kanazawa Station by Hokuriku Shinkansen.

From Osaka

It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from JR Osaka Station to JR Tsuruga Station by limited express train. Transfer to the Hokuriku Shinkansen at JR Tsuruga Station and it takes about 40 minutes to JR Kanazawa Station.

At JR Kanazawa Station, transfer to the IR Ishikawa Railway Line (bound for Nanao), which directly connects with JR Tsubata Station and takes about 1 hour to JR Nanao Line Hakui Station. Get off at JR Hakui Station, and from Hakui-ekimae bus stop to Ushioroshi bus stop, it takes about 50 minutes. Get off at Ushioroshi bus stop and walk for about 5 minutes.