Hakuto Beach - Hakuto Beach

A coast facing the Sea of ​​Japan in eastern Tottori Prefecture. It belongs to Tottori City and is located west of Tottori Airport. National Route 9 runs along the coast. It is the site of the myth of "Inaba no Shirousagi" from the Kojiki, and there is a monument to "Daikoku-sama," a song by the Ministry of Education. Between Keta no Saki and Okinoshima, flat islands formed by sea erosion are lined up in the shape of a crocodile's (shark's) back. According to the myth, a white rabbit tricks the crocodile (shark) into lining up, counting its backs, and is skinned just before it comes onto land, but is saved by Okuninushi no Mikoto. The sandy beach is a great place for swimming. Shirato Beach is a nationally designated natural monument as it is the southernmost area where Rugosa rose grows naturally. On top of the sand dunes is Hakuto Shrine, which enshrines the White Rabbit God. The shrine's grove of trees, including Castanopsis cuspidata and Ilex holly, is a nationally designated natural monument and a valuable example of the plant distribution along the Sea of ​​Japan coast.

[Minoru Iwanaga]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鳥取県東部、日本海に臨む海岸。鳥取市に属し、鳥取空港の西に位置する。海岸沿いに国道9号が走る。『古事記』の「稲羽之素菟(いなばのしろうさぎ)」の神話伝承地で、文部省唱歌の『大黒(だいこく)さま』の碑がある。気多前(けたのさき)と淤岐(おき)ノ島の間には、海食による平島(ひらじま)がワニ（サメ）の背状に並ぶ。神話によると、白兎がワニ（サメ）をだまして並ばせ、その背を数えて陸にあがる直前に皮をはがれるが、大国主命(おおくにぬしのみこと)に救われる。砂浜は好海水浴場。白兎海岸はハマナスの自生南限地帯として国指定天然記念物。砂丘上には白兎神を祀(まつ)る白兎神社(はくとじんじゃ)があり、その樹叢(じゅそう)はスダジイ、モチノキなどの樹林からなり、日本海海岸部の植物分布を示す貴重な例として国指定天然記念物となっている。

［岩永　實］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例