Beaches, Islands and the Sea

Shimo Aso Beach

Shimo Aso Beach is located in the center of Nippo Coast Quasi-National Park. Featuring picturesque clear ocean water and a white sandy beach, it is the pride of the area. Shimo Aso Beach is sometimes referred to locally as "Hyuga Matsushima" because residents consider it to be equal in beauty to Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture, one of the so-called "Three Most Beautiful Scenic Spots in Japan."
Being the northernmost swimming beach in Miyazaki Prefecture, it is crowded with many people in the summer.
Shimo Aso Beach was selected to win highest honours (No. 1 in Kyushu) in the Ministry of the Environment's "Best 100 Swimming Spots in Japan" category.

Access

Approximately 30 minutes by car from Nobeoka City Center.
Japanese name: Shimo Aso Bi-chi (下阿蘇ビーチ)

Osuribachi Coral Reef

Thanks to the Kuroshio Current, the water in the southern section of Nippo Coast Quasi-National Park is warm and clear, making it the perfect habitat for many varieties of coral as well as tropical fish. It is famous for underwater caves and colorful soft coral. The area off the coast of Shimanoura Island is one of the largest habitats of Osuribachi coral in Japan, making it a top-class spot for scuba diving.
Nobeoka's coasts are known for their beauty. At the South Kitaura Coast and at the Nippo Coast, the picturesque ria (sawtooth) coastline creates beautiful inlets into the land. The ria coastline has been designated as the Nippo Coast Quasi-National Park.
At Ooma Coast, families enjoy playing amongst the rocks. As the tide goes out, a layer of bare rock shows its face. The Ooma Coast is also the point where you can see "Sazare stones". Sazare stones are limestone, which over a long period of time have been transformed into a milk-like fluid that has strong adhesive qualities. This fluid has hardened and condensed to become large stones. The same type of stones can be found at Shimo Aso Beach and the Takashima Coast.