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Sanriku Fukkō NP, Miyagi
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The blowhole is a natural air pump: breakers rush into a sea cave, compress trapped air, and force seawater up a narrow shaft. It needs energetic surf; on calm days, Iwaisaki may not spout at all.
About 250 million years ago, Iwaisaki was a coral reef. Its fossil limestone preserves a framework unusually like modern reefs—many Permian reefs were sponge- or algae-built—and is protected as a Miyagi Prefectural Natural Monument.
In 1683, salt makers from Ako introduced a tide-powered beach method to the saltworks in nearby Hajikami: seawater soaked the sand before the brine was boiled. Local history says the fine white salt reached the Sendai lord’s table.
Iwaisaki was formerly called Jigokuzaki, or “Hell Cape,” because its jagged rocks were likened to hell’s Sword Mountain. A historical account says Date lord Tsunamura renamed it in 1696 while visiting the local saltworks.
About 12 members of the local tourism association continue the craft revived by saltmaker Endo Isejiro, who died in the 2011 tsunami. A typical batch starts with 1,000 liters of seawater and takes 2–3 days of wood-fired boiling.
A 2011 Environment Ministry field survey recorded that the tsunami swept away nearby shore and pine forest, but found no obvious change to Iwaisaki’s blowhole itself—a striking detail in the disaster record.
The 2011 tsunami damaged a pine at Iwaisaki, leaving a bent trunk and broken limbs that looked like a dragon rising. The tree was later treated for long-term preservation and reinstalled at its original spot.
Near the blowhole, a bronze statue honors Kesennuma-born Hidenoyama Raigorō, the 9th yokozuna. His official top-division record was 112 wins, 21 losses and 32 draws; the statue also stayed in place through the 2011 tsunami.
