There used to be many deer on Oga Peninsula, but when the deer began to overrun the area, they were herded off this cliff, giving it its name (“shishi otoshi” means “falling deer”). The volcanic rock seen on this cliff is called welded tuff and was formed about 70 million years ago when volcanic ash and lapilli hardened while still hot. Delicate and hard, when the rock crumbles into the sea and gets polished smooth by the waves, it is used in Oga’s famous “stone cooking”. These stones are as indispensable to Oga Peninsula’s modern cooking as they were in the past.
