Jodogahama

Jodogahama in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, is one of the finest scenic spots on the Sanriku Coast, with an emerald-clear sea stretching across a cove lined with white rhyolite rocks. Its name comes from the exclamation of the Buddhist monk Reikyō during the Tenna era, who said 'It is like the Pure Land Paradise itself.' A cruise in sappa boats (small fishing vessels) around the blue cave is extremely popular, and the sight of light streaming into the cave dyeing the sea surface emerald green is mystical. In summer it thrives as a swimming beach, and is also known as a habitat for black-tailed gulls.