Rikuchu Kaigan National Park
Encyclopedia
is a national park
in the Tohoku region
of Honshū
in northern Japan
. The park extends for 180 kilometers from north to south along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean
from northern Miyagi prefecture
to northern Iwate prefecture
. The park was created on May 2, 1955, and covers a land area of 121.98 square kilometers.
The entire coastline is noted for examples of sea erosion, with numerous rock pillars and islands. The northern coast is an example of an uplifted coastline, and is an area which has been subject to several strong earthquakes and tsunami
in recent history. The southern coast is an example of a ria
coastline of submerged river valleys, with deep inlets and narrow peninsulas, forming many small bays and coves.
Flora includes groves of Japanese red pine
, rhododendron
s and Rosa rugosa. Fauna includes numerous bird species, including the Black-tailed Gull
and shearwater
. In terms of larger animals, there have also been sightings of the kamoshika
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Tohoku region
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
of Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
in northern Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The park extends for 180 kilometers from north to south along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
from northern Miyagi prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
to northern Iwate prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
. The park was created on May 2, 1955, and covers a land area of 121.98 square kilometers.
The entire coastline is noted for examples of sea erosion, with numerous rock pillars and islands. The northern coast is an example of an uplifted coastline, and is an area which has been subject to several strong earthquakes and tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
in recent history. The southern coast is an example of a ria
Ria
A ria is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Typically, rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they can be straight and without significant branches. This pattern is inherited from the...
coastline of submerged river valleys, with deep inlets and narrow peninsulas, forming many small bays and coves.
Flora includes groves of Japanese red pine
Japanese Red Pine
The Japanese Red Pine has a home range that includes Japan, Korea, northeastern China and the extreme southeast of Russia . This pine has become a popular ornamental and has several cultivars, but in the winter it becomes yellowish. The height of this tree is 20–35 m...
, rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s and Rosa rugosa. Fauna includes numerous bird species, including the Black-tailed Gull
Black-tailed Gull
The Black-tailed Gull is a medium-sized gull, with a wingspan of 126-128 cm. The bird is resident in East Asia, including China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. It is a vagrant to Alaska and northeastern North America....
and shearwater
Shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds. There are more than 30 species of shearwaters, a few larger ones in the genus Calonectris and many smaller species in the genus Puffinus...
. In terms of larger animals, there have also been sightings of the kamoshika
Japanese Serow
The Japanese serow , known in Japanese as the , is a goat-antelope found in dense woodland on Honshū, Japan....
.