HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Nagato City’s “Alps of the Sea”
Experience the beauty of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s seacoast with a trek and cruise around Omijima Island
Nagato International Tourism Promotion Council
Omijima Island is part of Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park, an area protected for its scenic natural beauty. With some 40 kilometers of breathtaking coastline, including sheer cliffs and the sea-carved monolithic rocks that have earned it the nickname “Alps of the Sea,” Omijima is a grand display of nature’s art.
The island’s trekking road is 1,900 meters long. Hikers are treated to dramatic views of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s northern coast and mountains. You can choose between a 40-minute and a 20-minute trekking course.
These courses are ideal for travelers who want to engage in outdoor activities, as they enable you to view sea-eroded rocks that cannot be seen anywhere else. In summer, the island’s most famous sight is the evening sun sinking right between two tall, thin crags that rise from the bay.
The cruise around Omijima Island takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes and offers spectacular views of the 40-kilometer circumference of the island from the sea. You can also take a shorter cruise within the bay if it rains and winds are strong. This bay cruise is a stable and pleasurable travel activity that is not affected by weather conditions.
How to get there
From the Hakata Bus Center by Hakata Station, take the Otozure-Go Bus (one bus a day) to Senza Kitchen (about 3 hours 25 minutes). Omijima Island is about 10 minutes by bus and on foot from Senza Kitchen.
Cruising: 4297-2 Gyoko-Minami, Senzaki, Nagato-shi, Yamaguchi-ken
Trekking: Shizu-Ura, Senzaki, Nagato-shi, Yamaguchi-ken
