Shakotan Tourism Association
Jun. 17, 2023
Hello COOL JAPAN VIDEOS viewers.
This time Shakotan we would like to introduce Cape Kamui at the tip of the peninsula.
Cape Kamui, located a little over one and a half hours by car from Otaru, is designated as a Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park and is the only marine park in Hokkaido.
Just as the Ainu words "Shaku = Summer" and "Kotan = Village" came to be called "Shakotan", the summer scenery is wonderful, and the vivid blue sea has come to be called "Shakotan Blue".
If you walk along the 770-meter-long promenade "Charenka Path" from the parking lot of the cape, you can reach the tip in about 30 minutes, and you can see the surroundings 300 degrees from near the tip.
On the promenade "Charenka's Path" there is the legend of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
~Charenka Legend~
Charenka, the daughter of the chief who has strong feelings for Yoshitsune.
However, Yoshitsune left for the continent, and Charenka followed him to Cape Kamui, but Yoshitsune's ship went far offshore.
Charenka, who was grieving, threw herself into the sea with words of resentment, saying, "If you pass through here with a Japanese ship and a woman on board, you will capsize."
With sorrow and resentment, Charenka's body turned into Kamui Rock, and since then, whenever a ship carrying a woman approached the vicinity, it capsized, making Cape Kamui a place forbidden to women.
This rule continued until the early Meiji period.
There is still a "gate forbidden to women" on Cape Kamui, but now women can also go through that gate to the tip.
However, since Cape Kamui is originally a windy area, on days when winds of 13 meters or more blow, the gate forbidden to women is closed and it is not possible to go to the tip.
From June ~ July, the Ezo daylily flowers are in full bloom, and on foggy days, you can see a very fantastic scenery.
The cape, named Kamui, which means "god" in the Ainu language, has a very beautiful sunset and a superb view where you can feel the presence of the gods.
In 2004, the Shakotan Peninsula and Cape Kamui were selected as Hokkaido Heritage Sites.
