Kisakata: The Phantom Islands That Rose from the Sea

In the coastal town of Nikaho, Akita Prefecture, one of Japan's most extraordinary landscapes awaits discovery. Kisakata (象潟) is a designated National Natural Monument where over sixty pine-covered hills dot a vast expanse of rice paddies — remnants of islands that once floated in a scenic lagoon rivaling the famous Matsushima Bay. Shaped by volcanic catastrophe and seismic upheaval, this is a place where the forces of nature have written a dramatic story into the very terrain. It is also the northernmost destination described in Matsuo Basho's celebrated literary journey, Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North).

A Landscape Born of Fire and Earthquake

The story of Kisakata begins approximately 2,500 years ago, in 466 BC, when the summit of Mount Chokai — the majestic 2,236-meter stratovolcano straddling the border of Akita and Yamagata prefectures — suffered a catastrophic sector collapse. An estimated six billion tons of rock and debris cascaded down the mountainside along the Shirayuki River, plunging into the Sea of Japan. The massive debris flow created a shallow inlet studded with dozens of small islands known as nagareyama (hummocks), and over time, coastal sand dunes sealed off the inlet, forming a brackish lagoon called Ko-Kisakata-ko (Ancient Kisakata Lake).

For centuries, this lagoon — with its pine-clad islets scattered across calm waters — was celebrated as one of the most beautiful coastal landscapes in all of Japan. It was poetically paired with Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture under the phrase "Matsushima of the East, Kisakata of the West."

Then, on July 10, 1804, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck offshore. The land around Kisakata rose by more than two meters in an instant, draining the lagoon completely. The seabed became dry land, and the islands that had once floated gracefully on the water were transformed into low, pine-topped hills surrounded by newly created farmland. Within years, the former lagoon floor was converted into rice paddies, creating the surreal landscape that visitors see today.

Why Kisakata Is a Designated Natural Monument

Kisakata was designated as a National Natural Monument (Geological and Mineral category) on January 22, 1934. The designation recognizes the site as a uniquely important record of Earth's geological processes. The area — spanning approximately five kilometers north to south and 1.5 kilometers east to west — preserves visible evidence of both volcanic sector collapse and seismic land uplift in a single, compact landscape. Approximately 65 former islands remain as pine-covered mounds amid the rice fields, and the soil beneath the paddies still contains shells of ark clams (kisagai), confirming that the land was once a shallow seabed. In fact, the very name "Kisakata" is believed to derive from kisagai-kata, meaning "ark clam lagoon."

Furthermore, in 2014, Kisakata received additional recognition as a National Scenic Beauty site as part of the "Landscapes of Oku no Hosomichi," honoring its profound literary and cultural significance. The area is also included within the Chokai Quasi-National Park and the Mount Chokai and Tobishima Island Geopark, the latter of which highlights Kisakata as a globally important example of hummock topography created by volcanic sector collapse — a phenomenon studied in volcanology textbooks worldwide.

Basho's Northernmost Muse

In the summer of 1689, the great haiku poet Matsuo Basho arrived at Kisakata during his epic journey through northern Honshu. Walking along the coast from Sakata, he braved harsh winds and blowing sand before reaching the lagoon. What he encountered left a deep impression. In Oku no Hosomichi, Basho famously contrasted Kisakata with Matsushima, observing that while Matsushima seemed to smile with brightness, Kisakata carried an air of melancholy — as if harboring a deep sorrow.

Basho composed one of his most celebrated haiku at this location, comparing the rain-soaked silk tree blossoms (nebu no hana) to the legendary Chinese beauty Xi Shi (Seishi), who was said to be so beautiful that her sorrowful expression could bring down a kingdom. This poem has become inseparable from the identity of Kisakata itself.

Other literary luminaries also visited this landscape. The Heian-period poet Noin composed waka poetry about the islets, and the wandering monk-poet Saigyo praised the scenery centuries before Basho arrived. In the modern era, the poet Masaoka Shiki retraced Basho's footsteps in 1893, and the novelist Shiba Ryotaro wrote about Kisakata in his famous travel essay series Kaido wo Yuku (Journeys Along the Highways).

Highlights and Things to See

Surrounding Attractions

Kisakata is set within a region rich in natural wonders and cultural heritage. Mount Chokai, sometimes called "Dewa Fuji" for its elegant conical shape, is a popular destination for hikers and climbers, with the Chokai Blue Line scenic drive offering breathtaking views from the coast up to the fifth station. Nearby, Naso no Shirataki waterfall (approximately 26 meters tall) is designated as a National Scenic Beauty and one of Japan's "Top 100 New Scenic Spots." The Mototaki Fushiryusui, where spring water seeps dramatically through a wide moss-covered cliff face, is listed among the "100 Best Waters of the Heisei Era." Misaki Park, on the rugged coastline, is famous as the earliest spot in Akita Prefecture where cherry blossoms bloom each spring. For those interested in local cuisine, Kisakata is renowned for its iwagaki (rock oysters), natural oysters harvested from the cold waters of the Sea of Japan, in season from June through August.