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A straight line of tall rock pillars rising from the sea at Hashigui-iwa under a blue sky
Photo: 米田賢一, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wakayama · coast

Hashigui-iwa Rocks

橋杭岩

Some 40 rock pillars running in a straight line for about 850 m into the sea at Kushimoto, Wakayama. A sunrise spot you can walk out among at low tide.

Rock pillars of Hashigui-iwa with boulders scattered on the exposed seabed at low tide
Photo: 玄史生, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Silhouettes of the Hashigui-iwa rocks against a pink dawn sky
Photo: helohelon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A row of rocks like the piles of a vanished bridge

Hashigui-iwa is a line of rocks running straight out from the coast of Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture towards Kii-Oshima island offshore. Around 40 rock pillars, large and small, continue for about 850 m. The name, which means 'bridge-pile rocks', comes from the way they look like the piles of a bridge whose deck has disappeared. The tallest rocks are about 15 m high.

They lie within Yoshino-Kumano National Park and are designated a Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument of Japan. A legend has long been told that Kobo Daishi (Kukai, the famous Heian-period monk) and an amanojaku (a contrary little demon) made a bet on whether he could build a bridge by morning, and that he set up the piles in a single night.

A landscape shaped by magma and waves

The area is one of the geosites (points of interest) of the Nanki Kumano Geopark. Long ago, magma pushed into layers of soft sedimentary rock in a long, narrow band and hardened there. Later the waves wore away the softer rock, leaving only the hard volcanic rock standing like pillars: that is Hashigui-iwa.

Around the line of rocks, large boulders that broke off Hashigui-iwa and were carried away lie scattered here and there. The geopark's explanation says these are thought to be tsunami stones, carried by huge tsunamis caused by massive earthquakes.

Sunrise, and what to do at low tide

Hashigui-iwa is a famous sunrise spot, chosen as one of Japan's 100 best places to see the morning sun. Around dawn, the line of rocks stands out like a shadow puppet against the sun rising from the horizon.

At low tide you can walk among the rocks and feel their size close up. It is a good idea to check the tide times (a tide table) before you go.

Getting there

It is about a 20 to 25-minute walk from Kushimoto Station on the JR Kinokuni Line (Kisei Main Line), or a few minutes by car. If you take the community bus, get off at the Hashigui-iwa stop, which is right there.

Facing the rocks is the roadside station Michi-no-Eki Kushimoto Hashigui-iwa, which has a car park, toilets, a shop and an observation deck overlooking the rocks. Its opening hours change with the season, so check the official information.

Tips

  • At low tide the rocks are wet and slippery. Wear shoes with a good grip.
  • Once the tide starts coming in, the water can rise quickly. When you walk among the rocks, keep an eye on the tide times and head back early.
  • If you are going for the sunrise, remember that sunrise times vary a lot with the season, so check the day before.

Sources

Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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