Umagase Cliffs
馬ヶ背
Columnar-jointed cliffs rising up to 70 metres at Hyūga Cape, where seawater surges into a narrow fissure about 200 metres long, among Japan's largest columnar-jointed coasts.
Umagase lies at Hyūga Cape in Hosojima, Hyūga city. The cliffs, formed as volcanic rock cooled into columnar joints, rise about 70 metres, and seawater pushes about 200 metres into a narrow cleft. From the viewing platform at the end of the trail you look down on the scene, one of the largest columnar-jointed coastlines in Japan. Nearby, the 'Sea of Cross' lookout shows the rock fissures forming a shape like the character for 'leaf' or a cross on the sea surface, and it is considered a sacred spot for making wishes. The trail is about 10 minutes one way and free. It is about 1 hour's drive from central Miyazaki and can be combined with a visit to the Mimitsu old street.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Saitobaru Burial Mounds
- Heiwadai Park
- Miyazaki Jingu
- Aya Teruha Suspension Bridge
- Kisakihama Beach
- Devil's Washboard
- Aoshima Island & Aoshima Shrine
- Horikiri Pass & Michi-no-Eki Phoenix