Nishikigaura, Coastal cliff formation in Atami, Japan

Nishikigaura is a coastal cliff formation stretching about 1 kilometer along Atami Bay, where volcanic rock has been carved by ocean waves into distinctive shapes. The landscape reveals varied rock layers and natural fractures that become visible as you walk along the water's edge.

Nishikigaura lies at the southern end of Atami's built-up coast, where the cliffs expose ejecta from shallow-sea eruptions in the early stage of Taga Volcano. The old National Route 135 runs along the cliffs, and the Meiji-era Kangyodo Tunnel still carries it. The site has repeatedly served as a setting or filming location, including the 1951 film Izu Monogatari, Mishima Yukio's 1953 short story Yoki na Koibito, the 1961 film Kiiroi Fudo and the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla.

The two headlands framing the cove carry their own names: Nishizaki to the north and Ogizaki to the south, with the recess between them used as a car park for Hotel New Akao. The cliffs appear in Japanese film and fiction, including the 1951 movie Izu Monogatari, Mishima Yukio's 1953 short story Yōki na Koibito, the 1961 film Kiiroi Fūdo and the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla.

Nishikigaura lies along the old National Route 135, reached by the Meiji-era Kangyodo Tunnel; the newer road runs inland through the Nishikigaura and Sogaura tunnels. The cliffs are divided into Nishizaki in the north and Ogizaki in the south, with the hollow between them used as a parking lot for Hotel New Akao. Izuhigashi bus from JR Atami Station toward Ajiro-Asahimachi stops at Nishikigaura.

The two headlands framing the cove are named Nishikizaki to the north and Ogizaki to the south; the hollow between them, crossed by the Nishikigaura and Sogaura tunnels, serves as the parking area of Hotel New Akao. The old road along the cliffs passes through the Meiji-era Kangyodo tunnel, and the whole cliff area belongs largely to the hotel.