Shimabara Peninsula Geopark Leaflet: Route 1 – The Origins of the Shimabara Peninsula
For lovers of geology, Shimabara Peninsula is an open-air museum featuring more than four million years of volcanic history. On this route, you can explore how natural disasters have shaped the region’s culture and history, particularly on its southern coast.
Hayasaki Coastline Trail
This pleasant walk along the coast will bring you face-to-face with the peninsula’s oldest rocks. The dark basalt visible here was produced by underwater volcanoes over 4.3 million years ago.
Tanabatake Lookout
This lookout point offers a majestic view of the region’s terraced farms (tanabatake). The southern half of Shimabara is one of Japan’s greatest potato-producing regions! The region’s rich volcanic soil is enclosed into terraced fields by walls made from igneous rocks dug from the earth.
Hara Castle Ruins
The site of the final battle of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1638, Hara Castle was built on a hill created by the massive eruption of Mt. Aso (1,592 m) in Kumamoto Prefecture more than 90,000 years ago. Ash and debris reached this point from over 150 kilometers away.
Tatsuishi Seashore
The exposed side of this coastal hill reveals 500,000 years of the Shimabara Peninsula’s geological history. Each layer shows changes in sea level, different types of volcanic eruptions, and the movement of tectonic faults.