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Rock formations and pine trees along the Jodogahama Beach viewed from a boat. Point-of-view shot. Numerous whitish rhyolite outcrops. Black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) flying about. The beach is situated in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, in the middle of the Sanriku Fukko National Park. It is dotted with a series of whitish rhyolite rock formations, each of which has a distinctive shape. Jodogahama, which literally means "Pure Land Beach", was reputedly got its name from a Buddhist priest who visited the area about 340 years ago, and who likened the beautifully contrasting green pines, whitish rock formations, and the blue sea to the Western Paradise or "Pure Land" mentioned in Buddhist scriptures.