Tanohata

Tanohata is a small village on the Sanriku Coast of Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, where the Kitayamazaki cliffs drop some 200 meters into the Pacific in ranked walls of rock. It is one of the wildest stretches of coastline in the country, and the village stays quiet even in high season.

Lookout decks stagger down the cliff face at Kitayamazaki, each level opening a wider sweep of ocean. When seas allow, small sappa boats take visitors along the base of the cliffs, ducking through arches cut by the waves, with fishermen-guides pointing out seabird colonies.

Come for the paths of the Michinoku Coastal Trail and for nights dark enough for stars, with fresh seafood at the inns. The Sanriku Railway stops in the village, connecting south toward Miyako. Summer brings the calmest seas for boats; autumn sharpens the light on the cliffs.