Amanohashidate
Discover Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate (天橋立), the meaning of which is roughly bridge in heaven, is a 3.6-km-long, pine tree covered sand bar. It spans across Miyazu Bay on the Tango Peninsula, northern Kyoto Prefecture. It is ranked as one of Japan's three most scenic views. Coin lockers are available in the train station behind the tourism office and after the left exit. If they are busy, the gift shop Surumeya (旬彩するめや) located across the street 75 m on the right of the station can keep your luggage.
What to Experience in Amanohashidate
Taste of Amanohashidate...
In the summer, don't miss the melon ice from the little snack shop on the northern slope's viewing area. Cafe du Pin (カフェ・ド・ピン): This cafe is beside Amanohashidate, so you can see Amanohashidate (not overview) through big wide windows when you drinking or eating. They not only serve drinks and sweets, but also cater casual lunches (like a curry or sandwiches). Open 09:00-18:00. Abundant ryokan serving local seafood. Ask at the Amanohashidate train station's tourist information stand for information or to make a reservation. Prices range between ¥10,000 and 25,000 per person per night.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsDirect Hashidate (はしだて) limited expresses run four times a day and connect Kyoto Station to Amanohashidate in 2 hours (¥4500). At other times, you can take the Kinosaki (きのさき) limited express from Kyoto to Fukuchiyama (福知山) and change to the Tango Relay limited express to Amanohashidate. You can manage the trip with local trains for as little as ¥2260, but this will take over three hours and require several transfers. From Osaka, take the Kounotori (こうのとり) limited express to Fukuchiyama, and transfer to either the Hashidate or Tango Relay (2 hr 15 min, ¥5380). If you have a Japan Rail Pass and travel on the Hashidate or Tango Relay you must pay a surcharge of ¥1520 each way, as part of the trip uses the private Kita-Kinki Tango Miyafuku Line (北近畿タンゴ宮福線). The Amanohashidate station is on a spur line off of the main line to Miyazu. Don't be surprised as the train stops completely in Miyazu, changes direction, and then turns onto a separate line toward Amanohashidate....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The small villages on the north and south sides of the land bridge are easily walkable by foot, as distances are short. In the village of Monju (文珠) on the south side of the land bridge, the train station is only a few hundred feet from numerous ryokan, noodle shops, dried fish shops, and tourist shops. One can rent a bicycle at one of the many bicycle rental shops around Amanohashidate to ride across the land bridge and bike to surrounding local tourist spots. If you prefer motorized transport, small motorboats transport passengers between the north and south sides of Amanohashidate. The boats are inexpensive and take 5–10 minutes to travel the length of the land bridge. On the south side of Amanohashidate, the boats dock near the Shinto shrine. About the only thing to see in Amanohashidate is, well, Amanohashidate itself. The land bridge is best viewed from the hillside on either the south or north side of it.
Where to Stay
Abundant ryokan serving local seafood. Ask at the Amanohashidate train station's tourist information stand for information or to make a reservation. Prices range between ¥10,000 and 25,000 per person per night.
Money & Budget
Dried seafood, chirimen fabric, sake flasks made from a dried squid. Rice vinegar made by Iio-jozo (飯尾醸造). This vinegar company has more than 100 years of history and their vinegar is organic. They even farm the rice which is used to make the vinegar. They also have other flavours of vinegar, like a fig vinegar, pomegranate vinegar, black bean vinegar etc. In the summer, don't miss the melon ice from the little snack shop on the northern slope's viewing area. Cafe du Pin (カフェ・ド・ピン): This cafe is beside Amanohashidate, so you can see Amanohashidate (not overview) through big wide windows when you drinking or eating. They not only serve drinks and sweets, but also cater casual lunches (like a curry or sandwiches). Open 09:00-18:00. Abundant ryokan serving local seafood.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Amanohashidate
a large body of water surrounded by mountains
green trees near body of water during daytime
A beautiful view of the sea and land.
Scenic view of a bay with land formations.
A picturesque road leads to a lush green hill.
Amanohashidate sandbar with green trees and blue sky.
a large body of water surrounded by mountains
green trees near body of water during daytime
A beautiful view of the sea and land.
Scenic view of a bay with land formations.
A picturesque road leads to a lush green hill.
Amanohashidate sandbar with green trees and blue sky.
a large body of water surrounded by mountains