Bucket List: 20 Million Years of Geological History

Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture, Izu Peninsula Geopark - UNESCO Global Geopark

After a sumptuous breakfast at a local Ryokan in the hot spring resort town of Ito, we packed our stuff, checked out of our accommodation and drove to our next intended destination, the Izu Peninsula Geopark. 

 

Visitors to the Geopark crossing the Kadowaki Cape Suspension Bridge, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

Designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, the Izu Peninsula Geopark spreads over a large area on this peninsula located in the south-eastern of the main island of Honshu.

The Izu Peninsula is the only part of Honshu that geographically sits on the Philippine Sea Tectonic Plate. The peninsula itself has been constantly shaped and re-shaped due to the geographical shifting of the tectonic plate on which it sits on. These constant volcanic activities and tectonic plate movements account for the abundance of natural hot springs that are found in the peninsula today.

 

With its rich history borne out of the planet's natural geological activities, the Izu Peninsula is renowned as an important tourist destination in Japan for international as well as local domestic travellers. The famous hot spring resorts of Atami and Ito contribute greatly to the local economy in this part of Japan.

 

Cliffs shaped over the course of Earth's history, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

Landscape carved through the brush strokes of geologic activities, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

 When cliffs meet the sea, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

In our trip, we visited only the western parts of the sprawling geopark, having followed the coastal road from Ito on the western edges of the peninsula. It was a great drive, with magnificent views alternating between that of the Pacific Ocean and local villages as our rented vehicle wind its way down the coastal road.

 

 

Trees much older than me but much younger than the Land, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

One of the many views of the geology of the park, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

A towering monogenetic volcano, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

Pacific coastline, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

Looking into the Pacific Ocean from the edge of a cliff, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

This was my first visit to a UNESCO Global Geopark or any geopark in all my trips and I was awed by the natural wonders of Mother Nature. Taking in the views of nature, shaped through more than 20 million years of geological history was mind-blowing. The activities of monogenetic volcanoes that had and are still continuously shaping the area for more than 150,000 years until the present day made me feel so small, not even a mere speck in the history of time.

 

Map of the Geopark, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

 

Map of the areas of the Geopark which I visited during my trip, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

I will never, in this life, understand much about the geological history of Earth. But I certainly can travel to experience its majestic beauty. To see, to experience and to feel.

At the end of my visit, checking an item off my travel bucket list had become a non-significant personal achievement. Instead, taking in the visual sights of 20 million years of the planet's geological history was simply incomparable and had become the main highlight of the trip.

Park signs, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)

The Kadowaki Cape Lighthouse, Izu Peninsula Geopark, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017)