Visit Hagi City’s Susa Hornfels, the Striped Cliffs on the Sea of Japan Coast

Visit Hagi City’s Susa Hornfels, the Striped Cliffs on the Sea of Japan Coast
Maya
Maya 
Updated
| 4 min read

The picaresque Susa Hornfels can be found on the Sea of Japan coast in Susa, located in Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The ash-brown and black patterned cliffs contrast with the azure blue ocean to create this gorgeous scenery. Susa Bay was first opened by Yoshida Shoin, an intellectual from Japan’s Tokugawa shogunate of the 1800s. While you’re here you can also enjoy Susa Mikoto Ika, the local squid that gained popularity through branding efforts made by area fishermen. Allow me to guide you to the best scenery, adventure, and food of Susa to help make the most of your trip.

Designated a Japanese Natural Monument, the Susa Hornfels are one of the Top 100 Geological Features of Japan

visit hagi city’s susa hornfels, the striped cliffs on the sea of japan coast | designated a japanese natural monument, the susa hornfels are one of the top 100 geological features of japan

Susa is on the northern edge of Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park in Higa, Yamagata Prefecture. A place of true scenic beauty, it was designated as a Japanese natural monument in 1928. Its deeply indented coastline creates an excellent natural harbor, originally opened at the recommendation of the Tokugawa shogunate’s Yoshida Shoin. From as far back as 1000 years ago, it prospered as a chief trading port between Korea and Izumo (an independent country within ancient Japan). Susa bay can be seen in its entirety from the 532.8m tall, arc-shaped peak of nearby Koyama, which is famous for its magnetic stones. The magnetic stones of Koyama were also named as a Japanese Natural Monument in 1936.

Originally a gentle slope, the present-day, complex shape of the cove that can be seen is due to how the ground surface settled over the years. Various sizes of reefs can be seen on the water. Called Nishi no Matsushima (West Matsushima), the islands delight visitors.

How to get to Susa:

The walk to the fishing harbor from Susa station on the JR San’in Main Line takes about five minutes. To get to the hornfels, you will need to take a 10 minute taxi ride from the station. (More details can be found on the Susa Tourism homepage – Japanese only)

Reflecting off the Blue Water, the Hornfels are the Main Attraction

visit hagi city’s susa hornfels, the striped cliffs on the sea of japan coast | reflecting off the blue water, the hornfels are the main attraction

Hornfels are a geological feature called contact metamorphic rock, a type of rock which has undergone change due to heat. The word “hornfels” is a combination of the German words “horn” (same as the English word) and “felsen” (cliff or rock). The meaning of the word hornfels is quite broad, but generally means “hard rock”. The striped patterns of the cliffs at Susa are called tatami-ishi in Japanese, which means folded or paved stone.

1400 years ago, magma caused layers of white-grey sandstone and black shale to recrystallize. The variety of resulting hornfels are the northern face of the cliffs. The top of these stripe-patterned rocks has a gentle slope of about 20 degrees. You can reach this area on foot from the nearby Tsuwabuki No Kan parking lot, and the walk from there is enjoyable. In case you get lost, the Japanese refer to this particular area of beautifully striped hornfels as the Senjo-jiki.

Get Your Fill of Beautiful Ocean Scenery at Susa Bay, Home to Sea Gods

visit hagi city’s susa hornfels, the striped cliffs on the sea of japan coast | get your fill of beautiful ocean scenery at susa bay, home to sea gods

When coming to Susa Bay, you should consider taking a boat ride. Area fishermen and seamen operate boats for hire that can take you out on the water to get a better view. You’ll also get the chance to see other sheer cliffs that aren’t accessible by land (Note: if communicating with boat drivers, you can ask to see the byobu iwa). They formed from water erosion and rise to 100 meters tall in some places.

There are two types of boats available. Some boats operate at regular scheduled intervals and can accommodate even a lone passenger, while other boats are available to reserve if you have more than five people in your party. The boats operate from early May to the end of October. During summer holidays, the scheduled boats operate every day, even on Saturday, Sunday, and Japanese national holidays. The boats, which dock at Susa Fishing Port, will cancel operations if the weather is too bad. Get your fill of blue sea, jagged rocks, and amazing cliffs on this hour long course.

Try Susa Mikoto Ika, Select Squid Popularized by Local Fishermen

visit hagi city’s susa hornfels, the striped cliffs on the sea of japan coast | try susa mikoto ika, select squid popularized by local fishermen

Susa Mikoto Ika is the locally branded squid, trademarked in 2006. Launching a PR campaign, Susa fishermen turned the media spotlight on the freshness of their product and connected their efforts to economic revitalization of rural areas, a hot button issue in Japan. Susa Mikoto Ika is available in only six officially recognized shops. Popular in Hiroshima Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and gourmet food reviews, guests line up outside the restaurant Kofuku no Chisoya Umenoha, which is conveniently close to the station.

Popular with locals, a squid fisherman’s market is also open from July to September and is worth checking out.

Red Rice and Squid Ink Ice Cream!!

red rice and squid ink ice cream!!

While Susa Mikoto Ika enjoys great popularity, visitors to Susa can also enjoy delicious local sweets. The ones that stand out most are two rare flavors of ice cream, red rice and squid ink. The squid ink ice cream only uses 3% squid ink and is sweet and tasty. You can buy the ice cream at Tsuwabuki No Kan, and it’s a great way to wind down after walking around the hornfels area. They’re also selling red rice on its own. Mix a little of this in with regular white rice and it will give it a slightly pink color, which is pleasing to the eye. If you want to try something different and distinctively Japanese, pick up some Susa Hijiki, a type of black seaweed popular with health nuts. It’s also a great souvenir.

Check the Tsuwabuki No Kan website in the notes at the bottom (Japanese only, but it has a map and good information).

An Abundance of Breathtaking Natural Beauty

By seeing the Susa hornfels in person, guests can experience a beautiful monument woven by mother nature herself. The blue color of the ocean is also strikingly magnificent. There are still other great natural features to see in Hagi City, such as Tatami Gafuchi pool.

Here, hexagonal columns of rock rise out of the water along the bank, with the tops of these turtle-shell like stones appearing as a neatly paved surface. Through their cracks you can see a clear stream flowing underneath. This is a great place to visit before or after seeing the hornfels.

Check the notes at the bottom for more details (Japanese only, map and phone number available) Address: Yadomishimo Fujiki, Susa, Hagi City About a 20 minute drive along the mountain stream from Susa Station. Parking available.

Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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