Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Itoigawa The Jade Coast
AO Edited

The Jade Coast

You can still find treasures on the pebbly beaches of one of the world's oldest jade-producing areas.

Itoigawa, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Jade collected from the coast of Itoigawa.   極地狐
The Itoigawa jade on display at the Fossa Magna Museum.   Swanee
The pebbles of Itoigawa.   極地狐
The beach.   極地狐
The beach near the Teramachi district.   Swanee
The pebbly beach of the Jade Coast.   Swanee
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The city of Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture, has been known for its high-quality jade for centuries. In fact, it's considered one of the oldest jade-producing areas and its jade has been used since the prehistoric Jōmon period, long before the Olmec and Maya cultures. Even today, it remains the most notable location in Japan where jade can be found.

This is believed to be due to the city's geological position, where the Fossa Magna and the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line meet. A plethora of minerals formed 20 to 500 million years ago were brought from the mountain ranges in the east, carried by such rivers as the Himekawa. As a result, many of these stones ended up on the coast of Itoigawa, often smoothed over by the current.

Nicknamed the Jade Coast, or Hisui Kaigan in Japanese, this coastline consists of pebbly beaches where rare minerals such as jadeite and nephrite can be found. While it is strictly prohibited to pick jade in the Kotakigawa Jade Gorge, it is allowed on the Jade Coast. Up until the end of the 20th century, jade was so common on these beaches that the locals picked only high-quality specimens and returned the rest to the sea. It can be more difficult to find them today, but half a dozen (give or take) jade pebbles may be collected if one spends the whole day searching for them.

In 1994, the Fossa Magna Museum opened not very far from one of the beaches. Many specimens from Itoigawa are exhibited here, including many pieces of raw jadeite from the Jade Coast. The Museum also offers a free service of identification and authentication of minerals found on the Jade Coast, so be sure to check it out if you wish to find out whether your jade is jadeite or nephrite.

Related Tags

Minerals Beaches Stone Geology Geological Oddities

Know Before You Go

The Jade Coast proper is split into three beaches. While the most notable of these is the Itoigawa Beach (also known as the Jade Coast), which is 25 minutes by walk from Itoigawa Station, you can also find jade on the Oyashirazu and Ichiburi Beaches.

There is a 10-minute bus ride from Itoigawa Station to the Fossa Magna Museum. At the museum visitors can also experience a fossil excavation for 300 yen.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

September 18, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.geo-itoigawa.com/eng/about/geosite/geosite15/
  • http://www.geo-itoigawa.com/eng/about/img/dl/Discover_Itoigawa.pdf
  • https://www.itoigawa-kanko.net/enjoy/hisuisagashi/
  • https://www.asahi-tabi.com/hisuikaigan/
The Jade Coast
Jade Coast
2 Chome-4 Oshiage
Itoigawa, 941-0051
Japan
37.051003, 137.879152
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Buried Forest Museum

Uozu-shi, Japan

miles away

Nagano's Darkroom

Nagano, Japan

miles away

The Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay

Namerikawa, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

Nearby Places

Buried Forest Museum

Uozu-shi, Japan

miles away

Nagano's Darkroom

Nagano, Japan

miles away

The Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay

Namerikawa, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

Related Stories and Lists

18 Beautiful Beaches That Have Secrets

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • A beach on the island with distinctive rock formations.

    Malpe, India

    Thonsepar

    These four small islands contain unique hexagonal rock formations.

  • Gruta de Las Maravillas

    Aracena, Spain

    Gruta de las Maravillas (Cave of Wonders)

    An underground spring in a labyrinthine cave system, decorated with stalagmites and stalactites.

  • Beach at Basin Head

    Souris, Prince Edward Island

    Singing Sands Beach

    A walk along this white sand beach creates a symphony.

  • Saint Paul, Antigua and Barbuda

    Pillars of Hercules

    A series of magical limestone formations along the coastline of the country island of Antigua.

  • Quartz grotto

    Bernal, Mexico

    Quartz Grotto

    At the base of Peña de Bernal, a small business keeps evidence of alleged extraterrestrial visitors on display.

  • Sulphur Springs

    Soufriere, Saint Lucia

    Sulphur Springs

    Come for the springs; stay for the mud bath.

  • Bonhomme de Bourail

    Bourail, New Caledonia

    Bonhomme de Bourail

    A beachside monolith shaped by years of waves crashing against hard quartz.

  • Footprints on the dunes.

    Mears, Michigan

    Silver Lake Sand Dunes

    An unlikely beach paradise of giant sand dunes lies between two lakes just a few minutes from Michigan's cherry country.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.