Shimokita Peninsula

Shimokita Peninsula
猿ヶ森砂丘
Landsat image of Shimokita Peninsula
Location	Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Surface elevation	0 meters
Highest point  – elevation	Mount Kamafuse 879 meters
Area	1,876.86 square kilometres (724.66 sq mi)

Shimokita Peninsula (下北半島, Shimokita-hantō^?) is the remote northeastern cape of the Japanese island of Honshū, stretching out towards Hokkaidō. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, Tsugaru Strait to the north and Mutsu Bay to the west and south. Shaped like an axe pointing west, the peninsula has a thin "axe handle" connecting the mountainous "axe blade" to the mainland of Honshū to the south. The peninsula contains the northernmost point on Honshū, Cape Ōma, and the largest sand dunes in Japan (the Sarugamori Sand Dunes).

Administratively the area is a part of Aomori Prefecture, and the bulk of the area falls within the jurisdiction of the city of Mutsu, with a number of small towns and villages along the periphery. Most of the inhabitants live in coastal areas rather than the mountainous interior.

Portions of the peninsula are within the borders of Shimokita Hantō Quasi-National Park, including Cape Ōma, the coastline of the village of Sai to the south, including seaside cliffs said to resemble Buddhas at Hotokegaura, Cape Shiriya to the northeast, and the volcanic interior of the peninsula, including Mount Osore and Lake Usori. Tourist attractions include Yagen Valley, known for its hot springs.