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Sanriku Fukkō NP, Aomori
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Across 2.3 km, Osuka’s sand gives a tiny “kyu-kyu” squeak: quartz grains vibrate as they rub, while feldspar and shell fragments brighten the shore. Dirt can silence the song, so locals help keep the beach clean.
Hamanasu (Rosa rugosa) shrubs are a signature of Osuka’s dunes. In Hachinohe, their fruits have a role beyond the beach: people sometimes use them as offerings during Obon.
Tiny holes near seaside plants above the tide line can be burrows of the burrowing wolf spider, Lycosa ishikariana. It hides in the sand and pounces on passing prey; females usually dig larger burrows than males.
Pines behind Osuka were planted from 1955, and thinning began in 1991. Coastal grassland plants later returned, including Iso-sumire, recorded here at its southern limit on the Pacific coast.
The 2011 tsunami carved dune channels and stripped about 60,000 m³ of sand from Osuka’s northern half. A 2023 study found the sand volume recovered within years; later dune shifting followed coastal-pine removal.
Osuka joined Japan’s 100 Great Beaches on July 10, 1996—yet swimming is prohibited because of dangerous rip currents. Nearby Shirahama is the designated bathing beach, giving the neighboring sands different roles.
