Topography of Cape Hinomisaki
Cape Hinomisaki is made up of two lofty coastal terraces, at heights of 25 m and 34 m. The Hinomisaki Lighthouse stands on the lower terrace, and there is a parking lot on the upper. These terraces are thought to have been formed underwater between about 200,000 and 100,000 years ago, when the sea level was much higher than today. Waves scraped and flattened the seabed, which was then exposed to form the level terraces we see today.
A 10–15 m thick layer of weathered soil once covered the Cape Hinomisaki area. However, powerful waves driven by harsh seasonal winds have stripped away the soil on the western side, exposing the underlying bedrock.