Nakatajima Sand Dunes 3.84

Nakatajima Sand Dunes are located at the southern part of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture at the Pacific Ocean coast of Japan. The sand dune area measures approximately 0.6 km from north to south and 4.0 km from east to west. It is considered one of Japan's three largest sand dune areas along with the Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori Prefecture and Kujyūkurihama in Chiba Prefecture.The dunes were created by sediment deposits carried from the Southern Japanese Alps by the Tenryu River into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hamamatsu. Sea currents and strong wind help bring the sand from the bottom up onto the shore, where the wind constantly rearranges their shape. The dunes have existed for thousands of years, but the area of the dunes has been steadily decreasing due to numerous dams built on the Tenryu River for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation. Additionally, concrete barriers erected to protect the coast from tsunami and typhoon tidal surges have disrupted the currents responsible for bringing the sand to shore. The shoreline has receded about 200 meters during the past 40 years.