Amanohashidate
Japan · Kyoto · 5 m
Description
Amanohashidate (天橋立) is a narrow, approximately 3.6-kilometer-long sandbar covered with thousands of pine trees on the Sea of Japan coast and is considered one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views. Its name means “Bridge to Heaven” and refers to the striking appearance of the slender strip of land stretching across Miyazu Bay. Amanohashidate is particularly famous for the traditional matanozoki viewing technique, in which visitors look at the landscape upside down through their legs from the viewpoints at Kasamatsu Park or Amanohashidate View Land. From this perspective, the sandbar appears to float like a bridge between heaven and earth. Amanohashidate can also be explored on foot or by bicycle, combining pine groves, small beaches and shrines with one of Japan’s most distinctive coastal landscapes.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or October – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Amanohashidate sandbar & pine grove
- Amanohashidate View Land & Hiryukan viewpoint
- Kasamatsu Park & Shoryukan viewpoint
- Walking across the Amanohashidate sandbar
- Cycling across the Amanohashidate sandbar
- Chionji Temple
- Chie-no-wa Lantern
- Motoise Kono Shrine
- Manai Shrine
- Nariaiji Temple
- Amanohashidate sightseeing cruise
- Amanohashidate beaches
- Amanohashidate summer swimming (July - August)
- Amanohashidate winter snow scenery (January - February)
- Ine Funaya boathouse village(Day trip)
- Ine Bay sightseeing cruise(Day trip)
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Amanohashidate
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry