Walk along the beaches of Onagawa and you will find that the sand gives out a pleasant, high-pitched squeaking sound. This ‘squeaking sand’ can be found in only about 30 places in the whole of Japan, and is becoming an increasingly rare natural phenomenon, owing to factors such as pollution, urban development and erosion through tourism. In Onagawa, the beaches from Tsukahama to Kayadori are covered in excellent pristine squeaking sand, washed by the ocean waves under a clear blue sky.
Here in Onagawa we are very much aware of the responsibility we have to preserve the unspoilt beauty of our natural surroundings, from the glory of a sunset over the mountains seen from Sakiyama Park, down to the smallest grain of squeaking sand. In Onagawa, you can experience the ever-changing colors of nature - lush green, ocean blue, marine silver- all enfolded in the warmth of a smile.