Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark

UNESCO Global Geopark, inscribed 2015, in Japan. With a long whaling heritage, former fishermen now offer whale watching cruises. The Onda Festival, held biannually in May at the Kiragawa Hachiman Shrine, has been celebrated since the 12th century. Kiragawa town, located in the western part of the geopark, preserves an important architectural heritage that has largely disappeared elsewhere on the island.