Some tourists prefer to head for tropical weather, lie out on a beach in just a bathing suit and soak up the sun. Others prefer chillier climates, with beautiful alpine vistas and undisturbed snow . At San’in Kaigan Geopark in Japan , tourists can do both, at all the same time.
Swimming shorts are out of the question on this occasion, however - take a parka instead. During a rare phenomenon that only occurs between late January and early February, visitors can see snow and sand at the same time on the shoreline. The sight has been described by people on social media as “heaven on earth”, and “one of the most incredible and beautiful images I have ever seen”.
San’in Kaigan Geopark was declared a Japanese Geopark in 2008 and a UNESCO Global Geopark (an area containing a site of geological importance) in 2010. Located in the west of Japan and stretching from the eastern Kyogamisaki Cape, Kyoto , to the western Hakuto Kaigan Coast, Tottori, this geopark is home to a diversity of geological sites related to the formation of the Sea of Japan. It is home to geographical features including ria-type coasts, sand dunes, sand bars, volcanoes and valleys.
Illustrating its diversity, the geopark is also home to rare plants like Pseudolysimachion ornatum and Ciconia boyciana (Oriental White Storks). It is also home to some of the largest mammals in the country, including Yezo sika deer, Ussuri brown bears and Yezo red foxes. “It covers three cities, towns and prefectures with.
