【秋田】男鹿半島の観光スポットを巡る旅【ゴジラ岩・入道崎・なまはげ館】
Hello. This is inside the Akita Shinkansen Komachi train. Omagari Station is just before the final stop, Akita, but I’m taking pictures of the train window to take a photo of the switchback where the train stops at Omagari and faces in the opposite direction.
It feels like I’m going back the same way as before, so it feels like I’m going backwards. We arrived at Akita Station, right in front of the Kanto Festival. Well, I will escape from Akita before the Kanto Festival gets very crowded. Although it is summer, it is refreshing in front of Akita Station.
From Akita Station, head north toward Oga. This is a place called “Unosaki Kaigan Park”. It seems that the beach is not sandy, but made up of pebbles. If you drive along the coast, you will arrive at Godzilla Rock, which has a straight name.
I can’t see it from here, so I’ll walk a little further. Or should I say, Godzilla Rock is visible, but depending on its location, it appears to be shaped like Godzilla, so would it be more accurate to say that we’ll go to that point?
It seems that this type of landform was formed by a volcanic eruption 30 million years ago. There is a telephone pole with directions to a spot where you can get a good view of Godzilla Rock. Huge rocks are rolling around. Does it really look like Godzilla’s profile?
By the way, I didn’t stop by this time, but apparently there is a rock called “King Kong rock” near Godzilla rock. As soon as I drove past Godzilla Rock, I saw the Namahage Statue. It’s quite impressive. This face will be burned into your mind for a while.
As we drove along the coastline of the Oga Peninsula, we came across Toga Bay Observation Park, so we took a restroom break. Although the weather tends to be cloudy, it is a spot with an unobstructed view of the Sea of Japan.
Although I won’t be stopping by this time, there is “Oga Aquarium GAO” nearby. There was also a “cenotaph” like this one. After driving for another 30 minutes, we arrived at Nyudozaki, the tip of the Oga Peninsula. The parking lot is huge! The lighthouse and mysterious steel tower create a cape-like feel.
It is a lighthouse with a black and white striped pattern. It is said to be one of the 16 lighthouses in Japan that you can climb. It is called the 40°N Monument. It makes me feel like I’m in a special place for some reason.
New York and Beijing are located at the same latitude. Further north through the grassland, there was a small islet called Mizushima. The sea is clear and beautiful. Now let’s climb the lighthouse. Why don’t you climb it? Let’s take a ride on an undersea viewing boat. 1500 yen per adult.
Why don’t you ride it? After leaving Nyuudozaki, I drove south along the Oga Peninsula, and along the way, I discovered a scenic spot called Hachibodai. Many people visit Nyudozaki, but this one seems to be a little-known spot with fewer people.
We were able to see a special volcanic lake called “Maru (Ninome Lagoon)” from the magnificent observation deck. The shape of it surrounded by forest is mysterious. The parking lot at Hachibodai is also very spacious! The two-shot of Toga Bay and Ninomegata looks nice. It is a unique terrain.
Nyudosaki, which I visited earlier, is in this direction. Although it is a little difficult to see, you can see Ichinomegata. I heard that you can see Mt. Kanpu, one of the three most scenic views in the world along with the Grand Canyon and Norway’s fjords, passing through Japan’s three most scenic views…
Is that that? I heard that you can see the mountains of Oga Peninsula called “Mayama” and “Motoyama” from here? It’s cloudy and you can’t see clearly. We arrived at Namahagekan, which is about a 15-minute drive from Hachibodai. Admission fee is 880 yen. This is a must when visiting Oga.
Namahage will welcome you right away. This is a Namahage UFO catcher. Locally only. Is there a demonstration of making Nahahage masks here? Actually, there are two things I particularly want to see at Nahahagekan. Here is one of them. It’s an amazing sight. I feel an indescribable pressure.
Even so, there are various types of Namahage. The other thing to watch is a demonstration of Namahage at the “Tsorikan”. Apparently, Namahage events are held in the villages around here on the evening of New Year’s Eve.
There were many demonstrations during business hours, so if you lined up a little, you could watch without having to wait too long. When you step inside the folklore museum, you feel as if you have traveled back in time. Many people were taking photos with their smartphones.
The show immediately opens with “I want a crying child.” Although it looks like a demon, it is actually a visiting god. “Study more,” he says. It appeals not only to children but also to adults. It came like a storm and went like a storm. I saw some really nice things.
It is a monument called “Namahage no Tama”. I bought a Namahage towel. I picked up the straw of the “kede” worn by Namahage because it had fallen down. It is said to be beneficial. I came here to enjoy the Oga Peninsula and seek Akita’s soul food.
I had miso champon at Chinatown in Akita City. When I was picking up some gyoza with my ramen… This overflowing miso champon. This amount costs 980 yen. This miso-flavored soup with bean paste was so delicious that I had it all. It has many toppings and is a satisfying dish.
I ordered squid gyoza (390 yen) where the gyoza filling was not meat but squid. The noodles were chewy and chewy, but they didn’t go down easily… After breakfast, I decided to escape before it got crowded on the day of the Kanto Festival, but before that, I headed south for a drive.
Hokodate Observation Deck on Mt. Chokai. You can see the Naso Valley. Mt. Chokai is located on the border between Akita and Yamagata prefectures. As expected, Mt. Chokai seems to be a high hurdle for beginner climbers. It seems like it will take some time to reach the top of the mountain.
Mt. Chokai is said to be suitable for intermediate to advanced climbers. It looks like there will be a mountain trail from here. This day is Thursday, August 3rd, so it’s relatively empty. You can also see the Sea of Japan in the distance.
It was cloudy and I couldn’t see the top of Mt. Chokai. Let’s get something here. An unbalanced combination of ice cream and ball konnyaku. Returning to Akita City, preparations for the Kanto Festival seem to have been completed. The city has also become crowded. After this, he succeeded in escaping on the Akita Shinkansen.
Goodbye Akita, thank you Oga Peninsula.
海に向かって吠えるゴジラ岩に驚愕し、日本海を一望する入道崎の光景に感動し、なまはげ館の圧倒的なスケールに興奮した男鹿半島を巡る旅でした。
男鹿ナビ
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【タイムライン】
00:00 秋田新幹線より
01:09 秋田駅に到着
01:32 秋田の位置をグーグルマップで
02:37 なまはげ像の歓迎
02:32 男鹿の位置をグーグルマップで
02:54 鵜ノ崎海岸公園
03:14 ゴジラ岩
04:41 なまはげ像（その2）
05:08 戸賀湾展望公園
05:44 男鹿水族館GAO
06:09 入道崎
09:48 八望台からの眺望
12:34 なまはげ館を見学
14:54 伝承館でなまはげの実演を見学
20:12 みそチャンポンを食らう
21:36 鳥海山へ
22:58 鳥海山の位置をグーグルマップで
23:35 鳥海山の五合目を散策
26:01 竿燈まつりの前に秋田を脱出
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