Futagoiwa Geopark: Nagasaki Prefecture

Futagoiwa Geopark is a place that you must check out for yourself otherwise you may be disappointed .  This unique rock, called Futagoiwa in Japanese (Twin Rock in English) was made by mudflow sediment from many hundreds and thousands of years ago.  Over the years the Twin Rock has been eroded by waves.  It contains large quantities of Andesite from volcanic activity on the Kunisaki Peninsula 1.5 million years ago and although there were other similar rock towers once, they have been broken by sea erosion and the passage of time and slowly diminished bit by bit.

However, Futagoiwa Geopark still today stands proudly on the west side of the Tachibana Bay between Unzen and Minamishimabara Cities and is a great example of geology explaining the history of the area from many years ago.  A huge plus for anyone who has an interest in geology or just a nature lover who needs their regular nature fix!

I drive this stretch of road many times within the week and it is always such a striking feature that makes so want to pull over and further inspect every nook and cranny that mother nature has been able to impact on this structure over time.  It will be a sad day when the rock no longer exists so I urge everyone to visit before it is lost forever!

Check out Futagoiwa Geopark in Nagasaki on a map!

Click on the photos below to enlarge:

The last 2 rocks standing

The main rock

Please check out the video below of the Futogoiwa Geopark, Nagasaki: