Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate, A Pine Covered Sand Spit About 3.6 Km (2.2 Miles) Long Closing Miyazu Bay In Northern Kyoto Prefecture, Counted Among The Three Views Of Japan And Seen Best From The Hill Viewpoints. · Miyazu, Kyoto
Amanohashidate means bridge in heaven, and it is a pine-covered sand spit about 3.6 km long that closes off Miyazu Bay in the north of Kyoto Prefecture. It is counted among the Three Views of Japan, alongside Matsushima and Miyajima, both of which have their own rows. The classic way to see it is from the hills on either side: Kasamatsu Park on the east and the View Land on the west, where visitors bend over and look at the spit upside down between their legs, so that it seems to float in the sky. This is called matanozoki and it is half a joke and half a tradition. You can also walk or cycle the pine path along the spit, and swim from its beaches in high summer. It is a long trip from Kyoto, around two hours each way, so it suits people already based in the Tango area or travelling by rail for a night. It is worth the detour for a calm coastal day, a seafood meal and one famous view, but it is not a place for a rushed half-day. Expect crowds on holidays.
Amanohashidate, Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, reached from Amanohashidate Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway; view points on Kasamatsu Park and Mount Nariai above the spit, Miyazu, Kyoto, Japan
The spit and its pine path are open at all hours and cost nothing to walk. The viewpoint lifts at Kasamatsu Park and at the View Land usually run from morning until roughly 17:00 to 18:00 in summer and earlier in winter, with a break in bad weather or high wind, so confirm before you climb. Temples and shrines nearby commonly close around 16:30 to 17:00. Getting there: the Hashidate limited express from Kyoto takes about 2 hours, otherwise change at Fukuchiyama; Amanohashidate Station is a short walk from the spit. Cash is still needed for lifts, bike rental and small cafes. Book a ryokan early for weekends, Golden Week and Obon, and expect heavy snow in January and February.