Itoigawa's 24 Geosites

A Geopark Rich in Diversity

24 Geosites 1 Itoigawa Global Geopark

Itoigawa Global Geopark encompasses the entirety of the City of Itoigawa. Stretching 45km east to west along the coast and rising from 0 to nearly 3000m in elevation from coast to its highest peaks, the City of Itoigawa is home to rich geological and topographical diversity. From the sparkling jade found along the Itoigawa and Omigawa Coasts, to majestic mountains and volcanoes like Renge and Yakeyama, the Itoigawa Global Geopark has something for everyone.

To help visitors better explore and understand the Itoigawa Global Geopark, we have selected 24 regions within the Geopark which we believe have particularly outstanding features. These regions, which we call Geosites, are located throughout the region and feature visitor facilities like parking, information panels, and more.

The Geosites are grouped into three categories, to help distinguish them: Jade Geosites; Himekawa, Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line, and Fossa Magna Geosites; and Mountain Geosites. Be sure to read about each site while planning your visit!

1. Ichiburi Geosite 2. Oyashirazu Geosite 3. Omi Coast Geosite 4. Omigawa Jade Gorge Geosite 5. Imai Geosite 6. Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail(North) 7. Maikomidaira Geosite 8. Hashidate Gold Mine Geosite 9. Kotakigawa Jade Gorge Geosite 10. Tsugami Shindo Geosite 11. Himekawa Gorge Via Oito Line Geosite 12. Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail(South) Geosite 13. Himekawa Gorge Via Oito Line Geosite 14. Renge Geosite 15. Itoigawa Coast Geosite 16. Miyama Park and Museums Geosite 17. Tsukimizunoike Geosite 18. Umidani Gorge Geosite 19. Amakazariyama Geosite 20. Yakeyama Geosite 21. Benten-iwa Geosite 22. Shindosan Geosite 23. Gongendake Geosite 24. Tsutsuishi-Hamatokuai Geosite
  • Jade Geosites
  • Himekawa, Itoigawa - Shizuoka Tectonic Line, Tectonic Line, and Fossa Magna Geosites
  • Mountain Geosites

These Geosites are primarily connected to jade either geologically or historically. They are almost entirely located west of the Fossa Magna.

Ichiburi Geosite

1. Ichiburi - Jade and Jurassic Fossils

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:24 minutes
Distance:23.3km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Ichiburi field trip guide
Oyashirazu Geosite

2. Oyashirazu - A Cliff Becomes a Highway

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:16 minutes
Distance:13.2km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Oyashirazu field trip guide
Omi Coast Geosite

3. Omi Coast - Jomon Culture and Jade Coast

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:10 minutes
Distance:7.6km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Omi Coast field trip guide
Omigawa Jade Gorge Geosite

4. Omigawa Jade Gorge Geosite - Geological Phenomena in the Depths of the Earth

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:24 minutes
Distance:13.3km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Kotakigawa Jade Gorge Geosite

9. Kotakigawa Jade Gorge - Jade Boulders and the Great Rock Face of Mt. Myojo

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:24 minutes
Distance:18.6km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Kotakigawa Jade Gorge field trip guide
Itoigawa Coast Geosite

15. Itoigawa Coast - Vanished Sand Dunes and the Jade Coast

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:4 minutes
Distance:2.1km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Itoigawa Coast field trip guide
Miyama Park and Museums Geosite

16. Miyama Park and Museums - Geopark Information Center

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:13 minutes
Distance:3.7km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Miyama Park and Museums field trip guide

The Fossa Magna, the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line, and the swiftly-flowing Himekawa River. These Geosites focus on these geological phenomena and the culture that developed around them.

Imai Geosite

5. Imai - Rocks and Formations Created Alongside Fossa Magna

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:12 minutes
Distance:5.6km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Imai field trip guide
Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail(North)

6. Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail (North) - An Ancient Trail Along a Gigantic Fault

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:19 minutes
Distance:10.6km

Accessibility Conditions

Partially Accessible

Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail(North) field trip guide
Himekawa Gorge by Oito Line

11. Himekawa Gorge Via Oito Line - Geotourism via the Oito Line

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:34 minutes
Distance:19.1km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Himekawa Gorge by Oito Line field trip guide
Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail(South)

12. Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail (South) - An Ancient Trail Along a Gigantic Fault

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:30 minutes
Distance:15.3km

Accessibility Conditions

Partially Accessible

Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line and Salt Trail(South) Field trip guide
Himekawa Gorge

13. Himekawa Gorge - Erosion and Denudation of Giant Mountains

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:34 minutes
Distance:19.1km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

himekawa Gorge field trip guide
Tsukimizu-no-ike

17. Tsukimizu-no-ike - Landslides, Terraced Rice Fields and Stone Images of Buddha

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:21 minutes
Distance:10.2km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Tsukimizu-no-ike field trip guide
Benten-iwa

21. Benten-iwa - Maritime Culture Fostered by Submarine Volcanoes

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:18 minutes
Distance:14.7km

Accessibility Conditions

Partially Accessible

Benten-iwa field trip guide
Shindosan

22. Shindosan - Submarine Volcanoes and Traditional Farmland Scenery

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:31 minutes
Distance:23.8km

Accessibility Conditions

Partially Accessible

Shindosan field trip guide
Tsutsuishi Hamatokuai

24. Tsutsuishi-Hamatokuai - Beautiful Stratification and Traditional Fishing Villages

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:29 minutes
Distance:21.6km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Tsutsuishi Hamatokuai field trip guide

8 Geosites are found within the mountains. Many of these Geosites require mountaineering or trekking gear to fully experience, but they offer some of the most unforgettable sights within the Itoigawa Global Geopark.

Maikomidaira

7. Maikomidaira - Karst Topography and Alpine Plants

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:21 minutes
Distance:10.2km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Hashidate Gold Mine Geosite

8. Hashidate Gold Mine - Remains of Itoigawa's Largest Gold mine

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:28 minutes
Distance:15.0km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Tsugami Shindo Geosite

10. Tsugami Shindo - From Coast to Peak, 3000 Vertical Meters of Geo Trail

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:26 minutes
Distance:22.5km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Tsugami Shindo field trip guide
Renge Geosite

14. Renge - Volcanic Fumaroles and Glacial Wetlands

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:2 hours 20 minutes
Distance:43.6km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Renge field trip guide
Umidani Gorge Geosite

18. Umidani Gorge - Scenic Highlands and a Large Cross Section of a Submarine Volcano

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:39 minutes
Distance:19.2km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Umidani Gorge field trip guide
Amakzariyama Geosite

19. Amakzariyama - One of the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan Beloved by Climbers

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:1 hour 56 minutes
Distance:35.8km

Accessibility Conditions

Inaccessible

Amakzariyama field trip guide
Yakeyama Geosite

20. Yakeyama - Hot Springs and Disaster Prevention beneath an Active Volcano

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:41 minutes
Distance:18.8km

Accessibility Conditions

Partially Accessible

Yakeyama field trip guide
Gongendake Geosite

23. Gongendake - Curious Area of Deformation in the Mountains

Driving from Itoigawa Station

Driving time:48 minutes
Distance:30.2km

Accessibility Conditions

Accessible

Gongendake field trip guide