Cape Shiriyazaki Kandachime Horses

Wild horses on the cape

Located at the northeast tip of Aomori Prefecture, Cape Shiriyazaki offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean stretching into the distance. While taking in the view and the sea air, you will have a chance to encounter one of the Kandachime horses native to the area. This stout, short-legged horse breed is a designated natural treasure of Aomori prefecture.

From April to November, the Kandachime horses wander the cape, and visitors can enjoy watching them graze or gallop with the picturesque sea in the background. From January to March, ice and harsh winter weather make the cape inaccessible, so the horses move to a grazing plane called Ataka. In spite of the biting cold, Kandachime horses carry on calmly through the winter, enduring the elements thanks to their stout frame and thick winter coat. In the spring, new foals join the herd, making for an adorable sight as they play and prance.

Cape Shirayazaki is a part of Shimokita Hanto Quasi-National Park, which has wetlands and many kinds of treasured, rare plants found nowhere else in Japan. The cape is also home to the imposing Shiriyazaki Lighthouse, Japan’s first electric lighthouse and a symbol of the area, built in 1901.

How to get there

Take a taxi from Shimokita Station to the Mutsu Bus Terminal. From there, Cape Shiriyazaki is a 40-minute ride on the Shimokita Kotsu bus Shiriya Line.