Amanohashidate: Culture and Coastline

📍 Travel Time Kyoto Station to Amanohashidate Station: Approx 2 h 10 min

Today is a self-guided day.

Depart from Kyoto Station on a morning train and arrive at the Sea of Japan coast, disembarking at Amanohashidate Station. Welcome to Kyoto by the Sea, a delightful destination famous for tranquil coastal views and tasty seafood.

The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the seaside town. Guests will receive an all-inclusive Amanohashidate & Ine 2 Day Pass granting access to boat rides, rental bikes, buses, and cable cars.

Travelers not booking the optional guided half day tour in town will be greeted by an English-speaking local representative upon arrival at the station and escorted to their hotel. A brief orientation will provide detailed info on the town and the larger Kyoto by the Sea region, including what to see on today's self-guided afternoon, how to reach Ine tomorrow, where to rent bikes, etc. (This orientation info will be included in the optional half day with a guide as well)

Suggested Sightseeing Itinerary:

Explore the town, starting with the Amanohashidate sandbar, a 3km-long stretch of forested parkland and beach that cuts through the Miyazu Bay. This has long been counted among the Three Most Beautiful Views in Japan, and is said to have been used as a ladder by the gods when they descended to our earthly realm for mischief in ancient times. 

Walk the sandbar and enjoy the feeling of being in a pine forest while only mere meters from the sandy beach and lapping water. Bicycle rentals are available as part of the included Amanohashidate Day Pass.

Visit the beautiful grounds of Chionji temple and browse local shops and cafes in the quaint town seaside town. 

Ascend to one of the lookout points at either end of the sandbar via cable car. The rather amusing local custom is to bend over and view the sandbar upside down while looking through your spread legs. This angle is said to make the island look like a dragon flying towards heaven. Give it a try and see!

Optional Activity: Half Day Guided Tour of Amanohashidate 

Be met by a local guide upon arrival in Amanohashidate and tour the area together.

Explore the famous Amanohashidate sandbar before getting lunch at a local restaurant. Then, cross the bay by boat and see Motoise Kono Shrine, said to be where sake was first offered to the gods. The Shinto religion’s most important deity, the sun goddess Amaterasu, was once enshrined here, making it the most revered historical shrine in the region. 

Finish with a cable car up to Kasamatsu Park and enjoy the incredible view of Amanohashidate’s sea bridge from above. Part ways with the guide at tonight’s accommodation. (Lunch included)

Time
Start (Guided tour): 10:40 (flexible based on arrival time)
Duration: 4 h 

Check into the hotel and enjoy a dinner featuring Miyazu Bay’s famous seafood.

Overnight in Amanohashidate                                                                      
 

Inclusions:

🍗 Dinner

Today is a self-guided day.

This morning, board a bus for a ride to Ine village, a one-of-a-kind community on the northern end of the Kyotango Peninsula. (The Amanohashidate & Ine 2 Days Pass can be used for bus rides between Amanohashidate and Ine)

For guests who prefer to travel in speed and style, a private speedboat is available as one way or round trip transport between Amanohashidate and Ine. A private taxi hire is available as well and is highly suggested for the trip to Ine in spring and autumn due to bus crowding. Both options require prior reservations. Inquire with your Travel Consultant for more information.

Note: When taking the public bus to Ine during peak seasons in spring and autumn, it is suggested to arrive 20 – 30 minutes before departure time to queue due to bus crowding.
The bus ride is covered by the Amanohashidate Free Pass, which is included as a digital document in the Self Guide app. This digital document MUST be shown to the bus driver. Printed paper passes will NOT be accepted. 

Arrive in Ine Village, an active fishing hub that works hard to maintain a sustainable community. This charming community features over 200 waterside boathouses, and is the only spot in Japan to experience this kind of rare scenery. Still unknown to most travellers, this is a truly special destination where sustainable travel is carefully managed to prevent overtourism.

Stroll the town on a self-guided exploration, starting with a stop at the local Tourist Information Center where English maps and suggestions can be found.

Optional Activity 1: Ine Walking Tour and Sea Taxi Ride

Learn what it’s like to live in Ine on a guided walk of the town with a private guide. Stroll the quaint streets – rustic boathouses on one side, traditional wooden homes on the other – and discover the special charm of this quiet village. Enter preserved boathouses and see what life has been like in Ine for generations. Stop in at a local sake brewery – one of only a handful in Japan with a woman as the master brewer – to taste their famous pink tinted sake

Next, hop in a boat operated by a local mariner and enjoy a short sea taxi tour of Ine bay. This is a fun chance to see the town from a waterside perspective and learn the history of how this amazing village developed.

Time
Start: 10:00
Duration: 2 h 

Optional Activity 2: E-bike Tour of Ine Bay 

Instead of the above-mentioned walking tour, hop on an electric bike and join a local guide for a tour of the town.

Reach some of the farther areas of the bay that aren’t easily accessible on foot and visit a local funaya boathouse. Learn about the town’s colorful history and what it’s like to live there while enjoying the fresh sea breeze in this active tour.

Time
Start: 10:00
Duration: 2 h 

Optional Activity 3: E-bike Tour of Satoyama Ine 

Go farther afield on this longer electric bike tour that includes Ine Bay but also heads into the coastal countryside of the broader region.

Satoyama is a Japanese term meaning farms at the foot of the mountains, but it also conjures up nostalgic feelings of the olden days, small villages, and friendly country folk. Discover the satoyama scenery of Ine on this cycling tour that passes rustic farms, quiet towns, and seaside terraced rice fields. The coastal views are spectacular, and electric bikes make the hills easy to climb. Lunch included.

Time
Start: 10:00
Duration: 4 h 

After a day of sightseeing in Ine, board the bus again to return back to Amanohashidate for a cozy evening at the hotel.

Overnight in Amanohashidate 
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

Greet the morning and consider a morning stroll on the sandbar before enjoying one of the following cultural activities:
Wisteria Weaving Workshop

Discover the ancient craft of wisteria weaving, once thought to be a lost artform but kept alive in a single town in Kyoto by the Sea. Using the long fibers of wild wisteria vines from the local forest, a friendly artisan creates rustic textiles in her homely workshop. Learn about the process and see the simple tools that have been used for generations. This is a rare chance to see a craft that harkens back to Japan’s ancient past, yet is still celebrated in modernity as a sustainable connection between art and nature.

Time
Start: 9:30
Duration: 3 h

Tatami Mat Hands-On Lesson and Castle Town Tour

Tatami mats were once the standard flooring in Japanese homes, but are slowly disappearing as western home design become more popular. However, there are still craftsmen creating these beautiful mats by hand with time-honoured precision. Witness the sustainable craft of tatami making in a family workshop in a former castle town. Use traditional weaving techniques to create your own mini tatami coaster, and then go for a walk around the former castle town of Miyazu.

Time
Start: 10:00
Duration: 2 h 

Ebara Silk Production Showroom Visit

The Tango region has long been a celebrated silk textile production center, but recently one local manufacturer has pivoted their brand towards the western fashion market. The vibrant colors and modern patterns of their silk will amaze visitors to their showroom, where the weaving process is on display. Climb a ladder to inspect the massive loom as it whizzes away, and browse a selection of high end silk in the gallery. A drink at the in-house café is included as well.

Time
Start: 10:00
Duration: 1.5h

Organic Farm and Cooking Experience

Visit the homestead of a sustainable local farmer. Learn the ancient story of agriculture in northern Kyoto, where rice was first cultivated in Japan and a proud farming heritage still exists today. Enjoy time on the farm learning about local agriculture and soil reconstruction, and pick some seasonal vegetables. Then, head into the kitchen where the hostess will teach guests how to cook a hands-on, farm-fresh Japanese vegetarian lunch. (lunch included)

Time
Start: 12:10
Duration: 2.5h

Fermented Food Cooking Demonstration

The Kyotango region holds the international record for a community with the highest number of citizens over 100 years old, and researchers believe this may be because of specific foods that are local to this area. The focus of today’s activity with a local food educator are several key ingredients that the host considers “the pillars of Japanese cooking.” The cooking methods are presented in such a way that guests will learn Japanese techniques and recipes that can be applied in their own kitchens upon returning home. Lunch included.

Time
Start: 12:20
Duration: 2 h

At the scheduled time, depart Amanohashidate on a train bound for Kyoto or Osaka.

Optional Transfer to Kinosaki Onsen 

For guests continuing on to Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture, arrangements can be made for private car to transport to their accommodations in Kinosaki. Ask a Travel Consultant for more information.

Distance
Amanohashidate to Kinosaki Onsen: Approx 1.3 h 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast