This is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, where the snow settles just a few meters from the sea
The image that you see on the cover of this article is not a drawing, nor is it the product of virtual reality. It is a real place where snow and sea, winter and summer meet on the golden sand of a beach.
We are in the western part of Japan, more precisely in the San’in Kaigan Geopark (declared a UNESCO World Geopark in 2010): the park extends from eastern Cape Kyogamisaki, in the region of Kyoto, to the western coast of Hakuto Kaigan, near the city of Tottori, and hosts several sites of geological interest due to their connection to the formation of the Sea of Japan.
Within the geopark, it is possible to find different types of coasts, sand dunes, volcanic formations and valleys – as well as numerous rare animal and plant species that live only here such as the Pseudolysimachion ornatum (a type of plant with purple flowers), the Ranunculus nipponicus and the Ciconia boyciana (also known as the Eastern white stork).
It is precisely in this varied and particular natural context that landscapes coexist with each other, deeply different and incompatible in other parts of the world. This coexistence gives rise to spectacular images like the one that we showed you on the cover, taken by photographer Hisatoshi Matsumura.
Matsumura (known as Hisa on social media) is a photographer born and raised in Japan. Passionate about landscapes and perspective, with his shots he tries to capture what he sees with an enchanted, almost magical aura.
Many of his unique shots have made their way around the world and have also become viral – just like this photograph, taken two years ago but recently revived on social media.
