Why Japan's northernmost point is not actually the northernmost point of the country

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Cape Sōya is famous as the northern tip of Hokkaidō, yet it holds a geographical secret. While visitors flock to its iconic monument, the true northern boundary of Japanese-controlled territory lies on a tiny, uninhabited island nearby. This cape serves as a poignant intersection of history, geography, and memory.

Cape Sōya, located in Wakkanai, is widely celebrated as the northern extremity of Hokkaidō. However, the title of the absolute northernmost point under Japanese jurisdiction belongs to Benten-jima, a small, deserted island situated one kilometer to the northwest. On clear days, the proximity of the region to Russia becomes strikingly apparent; the La Perouse Strait spans only 43 kilometers, allowing observers to gaze across the water toward Sakhalin Island.

The landscape is defined by more than just its coordinates. The Ainu people, who named the area 'notetu'—referring to a cape as a nose—likely derived the name 'Sōya' from 'so ya,' meaning a rocky shore. Today, the site functions as a collection of superlatives, hosting Japan’s northernmost lighthouse, filling station, and elementary school. Yet, the atmosphere is deeply reflective, marked by over ten monuments that commemorate lives lost in conflict and tragedy.

Among these memorials is the Tower of Prayer, a 19.83-meter granite structure honoring the 269 victims of Korean Air Lines Flight 007, which was downed by a Soviet interceptor in 1983. Nearby, the Monument of Peace serves as a reconciliation site for the USS Wahoo, a U.S. submarine lost in 1943 with 80 crew members, and the Japanese merchant ships it sank. The site stands as a testament to former adversaries who united to build a lasting peace, with the wreckage of the Wahoo finally located by a dive team in 2006.

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