Muroto Global Geopark Center, Murotozaki Guide

Murotozaki is a peninsula at the edge of eastern Aichi, Shikoku. Shaken by the rough waves of the Pacific, it’s also been recognized as a “global geopark.”

The scenery of interwoven rocks pushed upward by crustal plate movements is globally rare, and worth a look. The “Global Geopark Center” nearby gives information about the geopark.

Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark is in Kochi Prefecture on the south-eastern tip of Shikoku. It juts out into the Pacific Ocean. It is the forefront of the birth of new land through the subduction of the oceanic plate and uplifting from great earthquakes along the Nankai Trough off the coast of Muroto. The sediments at the bottom of the deep sea have been pushed against the continental crust and lifted up to form the foundations of the land. It possesses a rich heritage of diverse geological formations.

Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark is a place where you can read the history of the Earth as it is written in the rocks. And while the land continues to rise and change, it serves as the foundation for the forms of life and culture in Muroto.

We can discover how local people have been dealing with the ever-changing landforms.

On the coast and in the mountains of the geopark are fossils, remnants of life that once lived on the land when it formed part of the ocean floor. Today that same land is the foundation for life in Muroto. Extending into the Pacific, Muroto’s mild climate is influenced by warm ocean currents that flow along it. Coastal and subtropical plants grow along the coastline. Some have branches twisted by wind, much like the rocks that were twisted by the Earth. Some cling to these rocks with their roots, to better endure the coastal weather. Along with the land and the climate that shaped them, they form the natural environment of Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark.

We hope you enjoy feeling the beat of the Earth in Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark, where the ocean and the land meet – the forefront for the birth of new land.

Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark encompasses the entire administrative district of Muroto City, Kochi prefecture, Japan. Muroto was approved as a Global Geoparks Network (GGN) member on September 18, 2011.

What is a Geopark?

A Geopark is a unified area where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

A Geopark uses that heritage, in connection with all other aspects of that area’s natural and cultural heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of key issues facing society in the context of the dynamic planet we all live on. In a Geopark, you can come in touch with nature, history and culture and discover the link between people and the earth.

Muroto Global Geopark Center

1810-2 Murotomisaki-cho, Muroto, Kochi, Japan
Telephone：+81-887-22-5161
Email：info@muroto-geo.jp
http://www.muroto-geo.jp/en/

Do check out http://visitkochijapan.com/ for more information.