Nakatajima Sand Dunes

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Nakatajima Sand Dunes (中田島砂丘, Nakatajima-sakyū^?) are located at the southern part of Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Prefecture at the Pacific Ocean coast of Japan. The dune area measures 0.6 km from North to South and 4.0 km from East to West and belongs to Japan's 3 biggest sand dune areas; Tottori sand dunes in Tottori Prefecture and Kujyūkurihama in Chiba Prefecture are the other two.

During the first day of the New Year this is a popular spot where locals gather to view the New Year's first sun rise.

In the summer the Loggerhead turtles land onto the beach to lay eggs, which are then collected into a secure area for incubation. When hatchlings hatch, they exit the secure area and head for the Pacific Ocean to enter a set of currents (Kuroshio Current, North Pacific Drift, California Current, North Equatorial Current) which flow all the way to American continents and back to Asia Pacific.

From May 3rd till May 5th the place holds the Hamamatsu Festival, which involves flying of traditional Japanese kites.