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Sanriku Fukkō NP, Miyagi
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The 16 m Oreishi lost about 2 m from its tip in the 1896 tsunami—hence its name, “broken stone.” It stood through the 2011 tsunami too, and became a local symbol of recovery.
The rocks at Ogama and Hanzo are about 260 million years old. They began as Permian limestone, much of which was transformed into marble by heat—then shaped into today’s striking forms by the sea.
From Maedahama, waves swirling among the offshore rocks can look like water boiling in a giant pot, while Hachiman Rock resembles its lid. This vivid scene is the local explanation for Ogama’s name.
Manaitaiwa means “Cutting-Board Rock,” and its flat top covers about 20 m². Kesennuma’s local guide says fishermen once used the rock to prepare and cook the fish they had caught nearby.
One local explanation links Hanzo to abalone-rich waters and “prosperity” (繁昌), with the word’s pronunciation changing over time. Another says the cauldron looked only half-finished—hence “Half-made Cauldron.”
At Tunnel Rock, waves have opened a cave through the base of a large boulder. When the swell surges through, seawater pours out the other side like a small waterfall.
Todoiwa means “Sea Lion Rock.” Kesennuma’s local guide says Steller sea lions moving south on ocean currents sometimes rest on this offshore rock—a surprising reason for its name.
Hamagiku blooms among Hanzo’s rocks in autumn. It is the only species in the Japanese plant genus Nipponanthemum—a whole genus named for one distinctive coastal flower.
