[Difficult to read place name] Zokagata in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture is not pronounced "Zougata"

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Located in the southwest of Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan, Kisakata is a place where the landscape itself holds a story.

This scenic spot, which also appears in Matsuo Basho's "Oku no Hosomichi," once featured a landscape of islands floating in the cove. With Mount Chokai in the background, this area was once a lagoon with islands of various sizes floating in the sea, boasting a fantastic view known as the Kujukushima Islands. Its beauty was known as far away as the capital, and it was even referred to as "Matsushima in the east, Kisakata in the west."

However, in the early 19th century, a major earthquake in 1804 caused the seabed to rise, completely changing the landscape of Kisakata. The islands that had floated in the waves were left behind on land, and now they are scattered like small hills in the countryside, creating a mysterious sight. This topography, where it seems as if the sea and land have switched places, is a vestige of time that is unique to Kisakata.

Before he witnessed these changes, Matsuo Basho, who visited the area in 1689, described Kisakata as a pensive landscape in contrast to the bright and open Matsushima in his novel "The Narrow Road to the Deep North," writing, "Matsushima is like a smile, Kisakata is like a sadness." He also captured a mellow emotion in a poem, "Kisakata, in the rain, the flowers of the Western nebu bush."

Today, the observation deck at the roadside station "Nemuno-Oka" offers a panoramic view of the unique topography, Mt. Chokai, and the Sea of Japan. While thinking back to the lagoon and islands of the past, you can feel the dramatic transformation that the land of Kisakata has undergone below.

Kisakata

Kisakata is "Kisakata"It is known as a scenic spot that captivated Matsuo Basho.

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[Difficult to read place name] Zokagata in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture is not pronounced "Zougata"

Kisakata

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