Engetsuto, Shirahama | A Sunset You'll Never Forget
Engetsuto has a natural circular hole through its center. At sunset, the sun passes directly through that opening — a scene that earned it a place on Japan's 100 Best Sunsets list. It's the perfect way to end a day in Shirahama.
🚩 NTJ Firsthand Travel Story
The sun goes down faster than you’d think.
Engetsuto is a small island off the coast of Shirahama, with a natural round hole through its middle. At sunset the sun shines through that hole — the scene that earned it a place among Japan’s “100 Best Sunsets.” It doesn’t line up every time; it depends on the date, the clouds, and a bit of luck.
It makes a perfect way to end a day. As the sun sinks lower, the colours shift from yellow to orange and the island’s outline slowly becomes a silhouette. You come away in a good mood, and the whole day’s tiredness just melts off.
The best place to watch is the Rinkai shore directly facing the island — the rocks below the Engetsuto viewpoint car park, or the nearby Ofune foot bath (Ofune-ashiyu); both sit right next to the island. (Note: don't head for Saki-no-yu, which is over at Yuzaki on the south end, about 3 km away and blocked by the headland — you can't see Engetsuto from there.) Locals start gathering about half an hour before sunset, tripods lined up in a row. You don't need any special spot — anywhere along the shore where you can see the island will do.
The sun lines up dead-centre with the hole only around the spring and autumn equinoxes — roughly late March and late September (give or take about five days; in 2026 around 20 March and 23 September). Those are the windows when the sun passes right through the central hole and the geometry is at its most striking. Outside them it drifts off: in summer the sun sits further north, in winter further to the southwest, so it won't pierce the hole — though the golden light on the water is still lovely. If you're coming specifically for the "sun through the hole," aim for those equinox windows. Search "Shirahama sunset time" before you set out to confirm the exact time that day — the sun drops quickly, and being five minutes late leaves you with only the afterglow.
The Story of This Place
Here's something most visitors never realize: it isn't actually called Engetsuto. This little island floating just south of Shirahama's Rinkai shore has an official name, Takashima — about 130 meters north to south, a mere 35 meters east to west, and roughly 25 meters tall, all of it a single mass of conglomerate rock, small stones cemented together over ages. And that famous round hole, the one shaped like a full moon and about 9 meters across, was never carved by human hands; it's a sea cave, punched clean through the cliff by waves battering the same spot day after day. The pretty name \"Engetsuto\" (Full-Moon Island), so the story goes, came from a traveling man of letters named Tsuda Masaomi around 1887, who coined it in one of his \"Five Scenic Views\" poems; it spread through publications in 1889 and 1908. In other words, it's an elegant nickname from the Meiji era, not some ancient place name. On August 5, 2010, it was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty as \"Engetsuto (Takashima) and Senjojiki\" — conveniently sweeping in Senjojiki, which I'd wandered over to earlier on this same trip.
As for legends, let me be honest: the island itself carries no famous folk tale or ghost story of its own. It's a modern-named landmark shaped by geology and the sea, not an ancient sacred site steeped in the supernatural. What has truly been handed down for generations around Shirahama is the Man'yo-era tale of Prince Arima. As the story goes, Prince Arima, son of Emperor Kotoku, came to Muro-no-yu (today's Shirahama Onsen) in 657 under the pretext of illness to recuperate, and on returning to the capital praised the place so highly — reporting that his sickness had healed — that it prompted Empress Saimei's own royal visit to Kii. Later, egged on by Soga no Akae into talk of rebellion, he was betrayed and arrested, and along the road under escort he composed the waka preserved in Book Two of the Man'yoshu before his execution in 658. This sorrowful episode is recorded in the Nihon Shoki and the Man'yoshu, and a poem monument still stands nearby.
Knowing all this, when you stand there and watch the sun drop right through that 9-meter ring of stone, you realize you're not just looking at a postcard — you're looking at an island the waves spent untold centuries carving, that a Meiji poet gave a name, tied to the ancient stories soaking in these 1,300-year-old hot springs.
A suggested one-day Shirahama itinerary
Engetsuto is best saved for the last stop of a Shirahama day. A full day could go like this: Sandanbeki in the morning (clifftop views, 30 min), then Senjojiki (the Jurassic-coast rock formation, 30 min), a seafood set lunch in Shirahama, Shirahama Beach in the afternoon (swimming in summer, a stroll in other seasons), and finally Engetsuto at dusk for the sunset. Manage your time well and it all fits into one day.
Getting there and costs
From Shirahama Station, take the Meiko bus toward "Sandanbeki," about 10–15 minutes, and get off at "Shirarahama" or "Engetsuto." Buses run roughly every 30 minutes, so check the time of the last bus back. From Osaka (Shin-Osaka), the limited express "Kuroshio" reaches Shirahama in about 2 hours 20–30 minutes (roughly 2 h 28 min officially), or you can drive (about 2.5–3 hours from Osaka). Engetsuto itself needs no ticket — it's completely free to enjoy.
Where to stay nearby
Shirahama is a famous hot-spring town in Wakayama, with 1,300 years of history; along with Dōgo and Arima it’s counted among Japan’s three oldest hot springs. Staying a night in Shirahama — watching the sunset, then heading back to soak at your inn — makes for a very complete trip. Both Klook and KKday have Nanki-Shirahama hot-spring inns and tours to book.
A one-day loop around Shirahama
Shirahama has several must-see spots you can string together (south to north, ending with the sunset): Sandanbeki (looking down on the Kuroshio current from the cliffs) → Senjojiki (a huge rock shelf) → Saki-no-yu (an open-air bath facing straight out to sea) → the Nanki-Shirahama hot-spring street (public baths and foot baths) → Engetsuto (loveliest at dusk, saved for last). A very full day.