Sakazuki Beach

 Image: Sakazuki, Tomari Village - August 1992

Sakazuki Beach (盃海水浴場：さかずきかいすいよくじょう) is located in Tomari Village, which offers stunning views along the coastline, on the Shakotan Peninsula. The shore consists of mainly rocks, but since the beach is almost sheltered by Benten-jima, a small island of rock, visitors would be able to enjoy swimming without waves. In addition, the area has shallow water, so Sakazuki Beach may be an ideal place for children to play. The beach offers not only transparent water but also a variety of sea creatures. Perhaps all kinds of creatures you would typically imagine in the sea can be seen easily if you continue to look closely at the water through your goggles.

Map: Sakazuki Beach

Even if you are not really interested in playing in the sea, driving towards Sakazuki Beach can be fun and Sakazuki Beach offers a walk to Benten-jima. You may want to park your car in the car park there and cross the bridge to reach Benten-jima. Then, you will be captivated by the blueness of the water. The uniquely shaped rocks will also impress visitors. You may be able to see many images on Google Maps, but I would recommend visiting in person. You will find it more beautiful than any photos can capture.  

Image: Benten-jima, Sakazuki Beach, Tomari Village - August 1984

As a child, my father would take us to this beach every summer from Niseko via the Niseko Panorama Line, where we were staying during his summer vacation. My parents later told us that they made an effort into finding the ideal beach for small children to play in and it took them quite a long time to locate Sakazuki Beach. Once they decided to go there, we continued to visit every summer as long as there were children in the group young enough to enjoy it. 

Image: Sakazuki Beach - August 1989

Image: Sakazuki Beach - August 1990

Another feature of this coastline may be the contrast between nature and man-made structures, seawalls and the sea water, tunnels and greenery, for instance. Although some might say that the view of natural environment without any artificial elements is always better, I would say the scenery including the constructions built by humans is quite compelling because they also create new amazing views.

Image: Route 229, Sakazuki - August 1992

Unlike Tokyo or Osaka, summer in Hokkaido is not quite as hot, so the seawater was relatively cold. Before jumping into the water, we built a small fire to be able to warm our chilled bodies immediately after coming out of the sea. I remember I often leaning against the seawall because the concrete wall was warm enough to soothe my cold skin. 

Image: Seawall, Sakazuki Beach - August 1993

For small children, knee-deep water may be enough to play. In that case, fortunately, the sea water would be relatively warm to stay in for a long time. 

I loved gazing at various creatures living beneath the rocks in the shallow water. I could spend a few hours observing them while snorkeling.

Image: Sakazuki Beach - August 1984

Again, one of the biggest reasons why my parents chose this beach for young children to play was that they were able to easily keep an eye on us at all times even while they were sitting on the shore. When I was looking at creatures through my goggles and snorkel, my body was still visible because the water was so shallow. Thus, if anything had gone wrong, my parents could have helped us immediately. This was also the best excuse for the fact that my father could not swim. 

Beach barbeques are common in Hokkaido, even though they are prohibited at many beaches in other regions in Japan. So we ate the fish or shellfish we caught there in addition to standard beef, chicken, or pork we had prepared in advance.

As shown in the image below, it was not uncommon that there was some litter on the beach. (They did not come from us, of course) Today, Japan has been regarded as one of the cleanest countries in the world. However, Japan suffered from severe environmental pollution in the 1960s and 1970s, and litter was still seen everywhere in the 1980s, on streets or beaches, for instance. Taking into consideration this fact in the Japan of the past, I am surprised and grateful that the condition in the natural environment has improved significantly.

Image: Sakazuki Beach - August 1985

Still, Sakazuki Beach provided us with beautiful and transparent seawater and stunning views. This never changed as I grew older, and even when I became a teenager, the knee-deep water still allowed us to have fun during daytime. 

Image: Benten-jima, Sakazuki Beach - August 1993

Of course, there are some deep spots and I would recommend floating and gazing into the depths. You can enjoy mystical sights of streaming sunlight, swaying seaweed, and various rock formations. I remember feeling a mix of fear and wonder in my small body when I tried such a place for the first time, Actually, I wrote about this experience in a composition for my primary school Japanese class.

Image: Benten-jima, Sakazuki - August 1984

We  did not usually use the main beach area, but rather in the southern area, located right in front of the Route 229 tunnel. I am not sure if it is still accessible, as rockfall prevention construction had been underway there for a long time. However, visitors can still swim and camp on the Benten-jima side.

Video: Drone view of Benten-jima

Video source: YouTube channel - @NakamuraAtsushi-movie

Sakazuki Beach offers paid parking, toilets, and a small restaurant and the area is also known for its onsen, so after a day at the beach, you should visit Sakazuki Onsen.

The Sea of Japan coastline always offers us stunning views, which makes for a fantastic drive. Not only the time spent at the beach with your children but also the drive itself will become an unforgettable memory.

Image: Sakazuki Beach - August 1993