Visit Kyushu
The Official Kyushu Travel Guide

This beach in Itoshima, a small seaside town to the west of Fukuoka, has unusual scenic features. The draw is two rocky outcrops, Meoto Iwa, or "wedded rocks" just offshore. They are joined by a sacred rope to symbolise a happy marriage, and framed by a white torii gate on the beach. The scene is beautiful at any time of day, but just before sunrise, and after sunset, you can witness a phenomenon known as "the blue hour", as the sky changes color. Each May, a ceremony is held to replace the 30 meter, almost one ton sacred rope (oshimenawa) which binds the rocks together.