Islands and the Sea that Keep on Shining
The Archipelago seascapes of the inland sea and islets where people live in harmony with nature.
Date of Designation: March 16, 1934
Area: 66,934 ha (land area)
Related Prefectures: Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Fukuoka, Oita
Setonaikai National Park is one of the first national parks to be designated in Japan, along with Unzen and Kirishima in 1934.
Of the area surrounded by the four straits of Kitan, Naruto, Kanmon, and Hoyo, the park area includes the vast sea area and islets of the Setonaikai Sea, as well as scenic observation points ashore overlooking the Inland Sea. Extending over 11 prefectures and covering a total area of 900,000 hectares including the sea area, the Setonaikai National Park prides itself on being Japan's largest national park.
The distinct features of this park are archipelago seascapes of the inland sea studded with numerous islands and islets of varied sizes. The coastal land area abounds with observation points. The area around the Setonaikai Sea enjoyed a flourishing culture from early times as the inhabitants coexisted with nature. Areas of terraced fields, port town awaiting a favorable tide, and other scenes of people living in a state of intimate connections to nature and creating familiar scenes are signature attributes of this park.