Meoto Iwa: when do the sun and moon rise between the rocks?
The sun rises between the two rocks of Meoto Iwa only for about ten weeks around the summer solstice. Futami Okitama Shrine says it is "most beautiful in May, June and July"; the dates and times below are calculated from the position of the rocks.
Sunrise times are for the shrine grounds. Arrive 20–30 minutes early — the sky is already worth seeing before the sun clears the horizon.
In winter the full moon rises where the summer sun does. The shrine publishes nothing about this, so these dates come from the same calculation.
- These are calculated times. Cloud and haze on the horizon decide whether you actually see it.
- Where you stand changes what you see. The rocks line up differently along the approach.
- The rocks stand in the sea and cannot be reached on foot at any tide.
- The great shimenawa rope is replaced three times a year; the shrine announces the dates.
Sunrise and moonrise are computed for the shrine grounds (34.509°N, 136.788°E). The gap between the rocks is taken to be the bearing of the summer solstice sunrise, which is what the shrine's own description implies. Tide figures are for Toba Port.