Senkaku Bay — Vertical Granite Seascape

Senkaku Bay is a 2-kilometer stretch of Sado's northwestern coast where granite cliffs rise vertically 30–50 meters from the Sea of Japan, forming natural arches, sea caves, and isolated rock pinnacles. The bay was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1934 and is often compared to Norway's fjords for its dramatic vertical topography. A pedestrian trail along the cliff rim provides multiple viewpoints, and glass-bottom sightseeing boats (¥1,100, 20 min) navigate between the rock formations.

The name 'Senkaku' (尖閣, 'sharp tower') refers to the pointed granite spires. The rock is pink-gray granite formed 15 million years ago, unusually young for Japan's geology, and the freshness of the stone gives the cliffs a clean, angular appearance rather than the weathered look of older formations.