Kabashima Island
Small island; massive columnar cliffs
This island is best known for a magnificent series of dacite cliffs along its southern coast. These are unusually tall examples of columnar jointing, columns created by the cooling and contracting of lava flows, and estimated to have formed some eight million years ago. On the north side of the island is a large rock quarry where dacite columns are mined.
One of Kabashima Island’s most scenic spots is the Taka no Su lighthouse, facing a cliff of 50-meter-tall columns on a tiny islet at the southeast tip of the island. The lighthouse is difficult to reach, however, as there is no regular boat service along this coast, and rough seas and currents make the area inaccessible at times. On the positive side, boat taxi services are available from Fukue Island and Naru Island.