Sanriku Fukkō National Park


Sanriku Fukkō National Park is a national park extending along the Sanriku Coast of Japan from Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture through Iwate Prefecture to Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture. The national park was created on 24 May 2013 and covers a land area of

History

On 2 May 1955 the Rikuchū Kaigan National Park was created in the Tōhoku region of Honshū in northern Japan. The park extended for 180 kilometers from north to south along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean from northern Miyagi prefecture to northern Iwate prefecture. It had a land area of. On 24 May 2013 the park was incorporated into Sanriku Fukkō National Park. This was in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. It also includes the former Tanesashi Kaigan Hashikamidake Prefectural Natural Park. On 31 March 2015, the Ministry of the Environment extended the park to include the former Minami Sanriku Kinkasan Quasi-National Park. Subsequently, the park will be extended to include Kesennuma Prefectural Natural Park, Kenjōsan Mangokuura Prefectural Natural Park, and Matsushima Prefectural Natural Park.

Geography

The entire coastline is noted for examples of sea erosion, with numerous rock pillars and islands. The northern coast is an example of an uplifted coastline, and is an area which has been subject to several strong earthquakes and tsunami in recent history. The southern coast is an example of a ria coastline of submerged river valleys, with deep inlets and narrow peninsulas, forming many small bays and coves.
At the northern part of the national park there is an and set of cliffs called the Kita Yamazaki. The scenic coastal rock formations are nicknamed the "Alps of the Sea".

Related municipalities

Iwate: Fudai, Iwaizumi, Kamaishi, Kuji, Miyako, Noda, Ōfunato, Ōtsuchi, Rikuzentakata, Tanohata, Yamada
Miyagi: Ishinomaki, Kesennuma, Minamisanriku, Onagawa, Tome

Flora and Fauna

Flora includes groves of Japanese red pine, rhododendrons and Rosa rugosa. Fauna includes numerous bird species, including the black-tailed gull and shearwater. In terms of larger animals, there have also been sightings of the kamoshika.

Gallery