Cape Ashizuri The 70 km coastline stretching from the northeast to southwest boundaries of Tosashimizu attracts over 800,000 tourists to Tosashimizu each year.
Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park includes Ashizuri, the largest peninsula in the area. Tosashimizu is the nearest city to Ashizuri peninsula which is protruding into the Pacific Ocean. Cape Ashizuri is 80 meters above sea level at the southeastern end on the peninsula. The peninsula is covered by subtropical plants including camellia, holm oak, and colony of
Livistona Livistona chinensis, and the sea is a prime fishing ground for katsuo fish, or skipjack tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis. While there are small islands to the south of it, the cape is recognized as the southernmost location on Shikoku island at . Tatsukushi geologic strata with layers of
sandstone and
mudstone form joints and layers. A gate-like rock on the coast, Hakusandōmon is on the west side of the cape. Tōjindaba Site is a prehistoric megalithic site with stone circle, located on the west hill on Cape Ashizuri. File:Tatsukushi 05.JPG|Tatsukushi File:Hakusan Domon 01.JPG|Hakusandōmon
Birthplace of Nakahama Manjirō On the western shore of Ashizuri peninsula, lies the village of Nakanohama within Tosashimizu, where
Nakahama Manjirō was born and became one of the first Japanese to travel to the United States. Manjirō, a young fisherman, was shipwrecked off the coast of Japan in 1841 and rescued by whaling captain
William H. Whitfield of
Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Whitfield brought the young Manjirō back to Fairhaven and
New Bedford at the end of the whaling voyage, and Manjirō spent several years there before eventually making his way back to Japan. Because of this history, Tosashimizu became the sister city of both Fairhaven and New Bedford in 1987.
Wildlife tours There are several wildlife tours popular on Ashizuri peninsula; wildlife swims are organized in the town of Iburi on the foot of Ashizuri peninsula.
Whale shark swim Whale sharks migrate off the Ashizuri Peninsula between June and September, and some are kept captive in a cage 300 m offshore.
Ocean sunfish swim Between April and the end of July each year,
ocean sunfish are kept in a net cage 10 m by 10 m and 5 m deep. When the water temperature rises, they release the fish into the wild.
Whale watching Whale watching is also offered on the east side of the peninsula, based at Kubotsu town to the middle and Shimonokae to the north.
The Shikoku Pilgrimage The
Shikoku Pilgrimage passes through the city, and the longest stretch of 80.7 km on the route is between the 37th temple () in
Shimanto and the 38th temple () on Cape Ashizuri. Descending from toward Tosashimizu, there is , a small wayside hermitage 28 km from Kongōfuku-ji. It was designated to provide a free lodging for pilgrims on that section, where people could also leave their luggage while visiting Kongōfuku-ji, come back to Shinnenan and continue on to the 39th
Enkō-ji in
Sukumo 50.8 km away. File:Kongofukuji 08.JPG|Kongofuku-ji File:Shinnenan 04.JPG|Shinnenan hermitage
Roadside stations Mejikano sato Tosashimizu
roadside station is near scenic Tatsukushi along route 321.
Mejika means sōdagatsuo (frigate mackerel) in the local dialect, and they manufacture and sell
sōdabushi, the main sea food produce of the city, processed for demonstration at the factory at the back of the store for direct selling. Farm produce is also sold at this roadside station. == References ==