Kujukuri Beach
| Kujūkuri Beach | |
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| 九十九里浜 Kujūkuri-hama |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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Aerial view, from south to north, of Kujūkuri Beach
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| Location | Chiba Prefecture, Japan |
| Coordinates | 35°31′44″N 140°27′07″E / 35.529°N 140.452°ECoordinates: 35°31′44″N 140°27′07″E / 35.529°N 140.452°E |
Kujūkuri Beach (九十九里浜 Kujūkuri-hama?) is a sandy beach that occupies much of the northeast coast of the Bōsō Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The beach is approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) long, making it the second longest beach in Japan. Kujūkuri Beach is a popular swimming and surfing destination for inhabitants of Greater Tokyo. The beach is protected as part of Kujūkuri Prefectural Natural Park.
Kujūkuri Beach extends in the shape of an arc from Cape Gyōbumi in Asahi to the north to Cape Taitō in Isumi, Chiba Prefecture to the south. The beach is relatively straight, in contrast to the typically irregular coastlines of Japan. The coastal region of the beach is the north-eastern end of Kuroshio Current influence in Japan. The tides and the Kuroshio Current create sand deposits along the length of the beach which form sand dunes of 4 metres (13 ft) to 6 metres (20 ft). Kujūkuri Beach has no reef.
Kujūkuri Beach extends across ten municipalities in Chiba Prefecture. They include:
"Kujūkurihama" literally means "ninety nine ri (sandy) beach." Minamoto no Yoritomo was thought to order the measurement of the beach, and 99 arrows were stuck on the sand—one every ri. The unit "ri" was then 6 chō (approx. 660 m), but later the ri extended to 36 chō (ca. 3.9 km). The short ri of 6 chō has long been forgotten or not in use, thus today many believe and explain incorrectly that 99 is just an inference of its long distance. The actual length of the beach is approximately 66 km, making the original measurement by Minamoto no Yoritomo the correct one.
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