GOING SOLO IN JAPAN – 2 – Amanohashidate

Amanohashidate is a pine covered sandbar that spans the mouth of Miyazu Bay in the scenic, coastal region of northern Kyoto Prefecture. Viewed from the mountains at either end of the bay, the Amanohashidate Sandbar (which roughly translates to "bridge in heaven") looks like a pathway between heaven and earth. The scene has been admired for centuries and is ranked among Japan's three most scenic views.

Amanohashidate Sandbar is one of the three old scenic views of Japan

The other two are

1) The Pine-clad islands of Matsushima

2)Torii at Itsukushima Shrine.

Our very first visit to Maizuru was in the month of June in 1995. It was a Saturday. We relaxed and settled down in the apartment . Next day on a Sunday morning we were taken for an outing by two young residents. Amanohashidate is about an hour’s drive from Maizuru. Frequent express trains operate directly between Kyoto and Amanohashidate. These are special trains and are uniquley decorated.

It is a very special destination for Japanese people especially for ladies. We were thrilled when we reached this spot. Amanohashidate is a pine covered sandbar that spans the mouth of Miyazu Bay in the scenic, coastal region of northern Kyoto Prefecture. Viewed from the mountains at either end of the bay, the Amanohashidate Sandbar – which roughly translates to “bridge in heaven” looks like a pathway between heaven and earth. Later we went there several times and took my brother and sister also when they visited us. We walked along the sandbar from one end to other.

On reaching the end, we decided to go up the mountain. There are several viewpoints from which to look out over the sandbar. The sandbar is best viewed, however, from paired hills on either side of the bay. Many consider this the better view as from this perspective the sandbar is said to resemble a dragon flying up to heaven. One can also take sightseeing cruises around the bay or enjoy the sand beaches along the sandbar.

INE

Ine is a town located around the Ine Bay in northern Kyoto Prefecture, about 15 kilometers north of Amanohashidate. This working town has a long and rich history as a fishing village and is regarded as one of the most beautiful villages in Japan. The unique aspect of Ine are its funaya. Literally meaning “boat houses”. These traditional waterfront buildings contain garages for boats on their first floors and residential space on the upper floors. Today there over 200 funaya remaining along the bay. Some of them now serve as guest houses where visitors can stay the  night and experience the funaya first-hand. The best way to see Ine and its funaya houses is from the sea. There are two types of boat tours available. Large sightseeing boats take passengers on a 25 minute loop around the bay