Irago-zaki Cape and Koijigahama Beach

Cape Irago has been a celebrated scenic landmark since antiquity: it appears in the Man'yōshū (7th century) in a poem by Prince Omi during his exile, and was also immortalised in verse by Matsuo Bashō in the Edo period. JTB National Tourism Resources Database. The present Irago-misaki Lighthouse was constructed by the Ministry of Communications Lighthouse Bureau and first lit on November 20, 1929, making it the oldest lighthouse in Aichi Prefecture. Japan Coast Guard 4th Regional HQ. It was selected as one of Japan's Top 50 Lighthouses in 1998 and is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. In the summer of 1898 (Meiji 31), Yanagita Kunio (then known as Matsuoka Kunio, a second-year student at Tokyo Imperial University) came to stay in this village at the recommendation of the painter Miyakawa Shunten, and lodged for over a month in the detached quarters of a local fisherman, Kokubo Sōzaburō. During early-morning walks on Koijigahama, he encountered coconuts drifted ashore on the Kuroshio Current — three times in all, as he later recorded — and was struck by the fact that they had made the long sea journey and arrived still fresh. Upon returning to Tokyo, he related the experience to his close friend Shimazaki Tōson (then a poet), who was moved to write the poem 'Yashi no Mi' (The Coconut), published in 1900 in the magazine Shinshōsetsu and collected the following year in the poetry anthology Rakubaishū (Shunnyōdō). In 1936, composer Ōnaka Toranosuke set it to music for NHK's 'National Song' programme, and it became widely beloved nationwide. Atsumi Peninsula Tourism Bureau.

Yanagita Kunio identified the Irago experience as the originating insight for his late masterwork Kaijō no Michi (The Road across the Sea, Chikuma Shobō, 1961), in which the drifting of coconuts from southern islands to the Japanese archipelago on the Kuroshio Current underpins his hypothesis that the ancestral Japanese people migrated northward via a southern maritime route. This hypothesis has since been partially corroborated by maritime archaeology and genetic research, and the concept of 'Kaijō no Michi' (the overwater pathway) remains a foundational theme in Japanese folklore studies. JTB National Tourism Resources Database. Koijigahama itself has been designated on four national lists (100 Best Beaches, 100 Best Roads, 100 Best Soundscapes, 100 Best White Sand and Green Pines), reflecting its multi-dimensional cultural and scenic value. The mountain Miyayama (139.8m) behind the cape has been preserved as a sacred grove and holds triple designation as a National Natural Monument, Historic Site, and Place of Scenic Beauty.

Since 1988, the Atsumi Peninsula Tourism Bureau has conducted the 'Coconut Launch Event' each year, releasing approximately 100 coconuts fitted with name-plate tags from offshore Ishigaki Island and tracking their arrivals along coastlines as far north as Yamagata Prefecture. In 2001, a coconut reached Tahara City's Wachi coast — just a few kilometres east of Koijigahama — fulfilling a long-cherished local wish. Atsumi Peninsula Tourism Bureau. The Nisshin-en site (Hii-no-Ishimon area) contains Shimazaki Tōson's 'Yashi-no-Mi' poem monument and the Yashi-no-Mi Museum. The 'Yanagita Kunio Sojourn Site Monument' (Yanagita's place of lodging in 1898) is located at the entrance to the current Irago Seapark & Spa.

Coconut driftings occur most frequently in summer–autumn (after typhoons). Sashiba (grey-faced buzzard-eagle) migration peaks in September–October, drawing birdwatchers. The cape is also celebrated for sunsets over the Ise Peninsula — the lighthouse is silhouetted westward. Nanohana (rape blossom) season across Atsumi Peninsula (February–March) pairs well with the cape visit. Winter offers the clearest air and best views of Kamishima Island and the Kii Peninsula.

The standard composition is Koijigahama's arc of white sand with the Irago-misaki Lighthouse in the distance at dusk. The 15m white tower lighthouse photographs best from close up, looking upward. Early morning and evening light optimise views of Kamishima Island floating on the horizon. The Hii-no-Ishimon (sea arch) can be approached at low tide. The Tōson 'Yashi-no-Mi' poem monument with the ocean as backdrop makes for a meaningful commemorative photograph.

Strong winds are frequent at the cape, especially from the west and east (the Atsumi Peninsula is notoriously windswept). The lighthouse interior is not open to the public; only the exterior may be viewed. The cliff-edge sections of the promontory walking trail require caution. The Isewan Ferry (Toba–Irago) frequency varies by season and time of day; confirm the current schedule before planning your trip (Isewan Ferry: https://www.isewanferry.co.jp/).