Japan Kyoto by the sea: road trip from Amanohashidate to Ine village Amanohashidate, Ine, Kyoto, trip to japan 5 (6)Determined to get out of Kyoto itself, we set off on a little roadtrip, heading north of Kyoto prefecture to Amanohashidate. Due to the proximity and interest of the places, we extended our excursion that day to the fishing village of Ine.Amanohashidate, one of the 3 most famous views in JapanIt's not me who says it, but it's the information that comes out directly when we inquire about Amanohashidate. The other 2 views are that of Matsushima Bay and Miyajima, the name commonly given to the island of Itsukushima, in Hiroshima Bay, where the famous giant Torii is located on the sea.Amanohashidate (天橋立, meaning "the bridge of heaven") is known for its 3 km long strip of sand, decorated with pine trees, separating Miyazu Bay from the Asumi Sea. As for us, it was following a TV reshare, here in Thailand, that we wanted to take a look at this place giving off a special atmosphere, almost romantic, I would say.The "sky bridge" of Amanohashidate.Unfortunately, it was in the rain that we left Kyoto that morning, after picking up the car near our hotel (at Rent-a-car because it was one of the only English language booking sites, with a branch not far from where we were and needed to return).Luckily for me, I am used to driving on the left, for the procedures to driving in japan, I refer you to my dedicated article.Kyoto by the seaTaking the highway (which is limited to 70 km/h for many, because the mountain passes in 1×1 lane regularly!), it took us about 2 hours to reach Amanohashidate. The rain didn't let up all morning... At least one advantage, when we arrived, no problem finding a parking space, because there were obviously not many people outside with this terrible weather.Lots of tunnels along this highway too.We parked as soon as we came across a sign indicating this.The shopping street upon arrival, deserted.We fortunately had an umbrella and a k-way for me, but to take pictures and walk around in this weather, it's never really the best way to appreciate a place. Willingly or not, we start to engage on the small bridge joining a small island just before the strip of sand of Amanohashidate that we reach via a second bridge. We come across a few couples of outings. Originally, we had planned to take a boat ride around, and possibly go see the famous viewpoint above.Our plan falls through (that's the right word) but our morale remains high, that doesn't stop us from taking pictures of ourselves and taking a few shots of the place soaking wet. However, we certainly don't feel like going down the strip. We barely walked 250m to a restaurant/snack bar and after a few photos of the beach and its fir trees, with a misty landscape in the background, we were already turning back.Bad weather upon arriving in Amanohashidate.Crossing the first bridge.Let's sing in the rain!The snack corner on the left.A few brave walkers.The pine-lined “beach” of Amanohashidate.It's dripping!We didn't go to the Shinto shrine located 400 m further. It had only been 15 minutes since we arrived... On our way back to the mainland, we crossed the first red bridge, called Kaisenkyo, without having noticed that it was a swing bridge, to let the boats pass making the loop around Amnoshidate. While one was just arriving to pass and the staff was asking people to wait, I hurried to finish my photos and sat down to wait at the other end. Jitima was too absorbed in his photos, and had not calculated at all that the bridge was about to move...The timing was perfect because we were hungry. We decided to sit in one of the open restaurants, while a welcoming little lady at the reception called customers to come and eat. Which we did with pleasure given how soaked I was starting to get. Time for me to devour a small tonkatsu (Japanese curry) and we went out again.The bridge is rotating.This is not the restaurant we were in (which is behind me).The presentation of dishes is very often done in this way.So, what’s on the menu today?Simple, but effective.Chion-ji, the temple of wisdomWe could see it just before crossing the bridge, I still wanted to go see the local temple before leaving Amanohashidate. So here we are passing the imposing gate of the Chionji Temple, at the end of the small shopping street next to the access to the bridge. Gate which was made in 7 years by no less than 8 carpenters and whose construction was completed in 780.Dedicated to one of the three Monju (Buddhist saints), known as "Monju of wisdom", this is a popular temple for students eager to pass their exams. Due to its location at the foot of Amanohashidate, there were more people there than on the sandbar. This Zen temple dates back to the 9th century and while the current buildings are not, there is still a beautiful Tahoto pagoda dating from 1501.We can see the large wooden gate of Chion-ji Temple.The pagoda of the temple, erected in 1501.I found this information on the website of Japan Hoppers writing this article, because at the time, I had not inquired in advance and had no idea. People were saying prayers, buying small fans or small wooden wishing signs that they then hang on the branches of trees or temple posts.There was also a tea tasting. Seeing people, smiles, a serene atmosphere, it felt good. Because when traveling, rain like that is clearly depressing. And with all that, the weather was finally starting to give us a break, the time of our visit to the temple, roughly twenty minutes, the rain more or less stopped.But if we didn't go up to the viewpoint (which was under the clouds), located at Amanohashidate View Land and accessible via a cable car, we took the time to stop at a local café. Especially seeing the sign in French "Café et Pâtisserie", we weren't against a gourmet break and a good coffee, in this weather, it's invigorating and it's perfect!Coffee break.Once we pulled ourselves together, we got back in the car. Not for long, because I stopped a few hundred meters later, when I saw a large parking lot with a view of Miyazu Bay and the strip of land of Amanohashidate running through the middle.Without the rain, it's still more pleasant to look at. The distant mist gives a little extra cachet to the whole thing even if the landscape remains quite cloudy so clearly lacks color to really fall under its spell. But that's part of the hazards of travel, you have to deal with it and so we had to draw a line under Amanohashidate, after 2h30 on site.A quick visit then, but we were hoping for better weather for the rest of the trip so we hurried off to Ine, some 30 km further up. Especially since we didn't leave Kyoto very early and time was running out.Getting to AmanohashidateAssuming you don't have a car and aren't comfortable driving abroad (or driving at all...), it's possible to get to Amanohashidate fairly easily from Kyoto or Osaka.– By train:+ From Kyoto, you have to take the Hashidate (はしだて) limited express trains which run 4 times a day and connect Kyoto Station to Amanohashidate in 2 hours (4 Y). There is also the Kinosaki (きのさき) limited express train from Kyoto to Fukuchiyama (福知山) but you have to change to the Tango Relay limited express train for Amanohashidate.+ From Osaka, take the limited express Kōnotori (こうのとり) train to Fukuchiyama, and change to the Hashidate or Tango Relay (2h15 journey for 5 Y).Note that in both cases, if you have a Japan Rail Pass and take the Hashidate or Tango Relay, you will have to pay an additional 2 Y (one way) because the journey takes place on the private Kita-Kinki Tango Miyafuku Line. Also, Amanohashidate Station is on a branch line of the main line (which passes through Miyazu City), so don't be surprised if the train stops and then changes direction at Miyazu Station to go on a different line to Amanohashidate.– By bus: Easier and cheaper, take the Tankai (丹海バス) buses+ From Osaka : Allow 2h45 for the journey and a fare of 2 Y. There are departures 650 times/day. Buses leave from Hankyū Umeda and Shin-Osaka Stations and go to Amanohashidate Train Station.+ From Kyoto : allow 2 hours for the journey for a fare of 2 Y. There are also departures 800 times/day. Buses leave from Kyoto Station (platform C3) also to Amanohashidate Train Station.The fishing village of Ine and its FunayaIne-cho is a small fishing village lost in a gulf of Wakasa in the east of the Tango peninsula, on the edge of the Sea of Japan. Here again, another report had caught our eye concerning this village, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Japan.It is home to houses built on stilts called Funaya. In fact, houses also serving as a boat slip, located on the ground floor with direct access to the sea, whatever the tide. This is possible because Ine Bay is protected from the tides.Not all houses are actually houses, some are well inhabited while others serve as fishing huts. In this case, the fishermen usually live in the house just across the street.In total, there are more than 200 "Funaya" spread across the bay. It must be admitted that the first impression while driving along the seaside road is rather good. Despite the still gloomy weather with low clouds, the landscape is successful. Moreover, we get out of the car to take some photos of the neighboring village of Oshima, just the last bend before arriving at Ine Bay.In the village of Oshima, just before arriving at the bay where Ine is located.Our little car for this little roadtrip, the road along the cliff suddenly narrowing afterwards.What a view…We see the bay where Ine is.Inwardly, I'm a little annoyed by this grey sky (I know, I insist... But it's never a pleasure in terms of light for photography). But there are some colours thanks to the shades of green of the trees and the atmosphere lends itself well to the side of a village at the end of the world.We will come across less than 10 people in the village. It is quiet, very quiet. The streets, not devoid of charm, are empty. We stop for the first time to take a few photos and then we move forward to the parking lot next to the main port to explore the village a little more.Here again, we shoot a little, we wonder a little what to do. But time is pressing a little because night is going to fall soon. After a little less than 1/2 hour on site and just 1 hour in total in Ine Bay, we decide to continue our journey. Our roadtrip not being over yet, we still had almost 2 hours to reach our hotel for the evening, a Ryokan, near the town of Miyamacho Tsurugaoka.Getting to Ine VillageFrom Amanohashidate, 1 hour by Tango Kairiku Kotsu bus (land and water transportation) from Amanohashidate stop on the Kita-kinki Tango Line.There is also a bus at the Amanohashidateeki stop, right next to the station, on the Tantetsu Miyamai-Miyatoyo line, same, 1 hour for a fare of 400 Y.On the way to our ryokanOriginally, when we planned this day, we thought we would go to a beach further northwest of the peninsula, Kotohiki Beach. But the bad weather and lack of time pushed us to revise our plan and just go back inland.Before getting back on the highway, I went along the sea for a while and, taking advantage of the fact that there was no more rain, I made a little photo stop. I stopped one last time near Hioki, going to see a little of the rice fields that had just been planted. It offered a photogenic setting with the water reflecting the houses and hills, the late afternoon light and the sea and mountains, visible on the other side.Coastal road between Amanohashidate and Ine.Village and rice field near Hioki, about ten kilometers from Ine.After a false start because I took the wrong highway entrance (confusion about the lane to take indicated by the GPS… Which is normally rare in my case), we arrived at night, with a bit of anxiety about whether we would find it easily despite the coordinates marked on the GPS. Finally, we arrived by deducing that the building we had just passed on the side of the road, near the indicated point, must be the ryokan.For this first stay in Japan, we wanted to experience a night in a ryokan, traditional inns, a kind of guesthouse with typical Japanese charm. Knowing that we planned to visit the thatched village of Miyama no Kayabuki no Sato, it is therefore not far from there at Kigusuriya Ryokan that we were taking up our quarters.But that will be for another article! To be continued…Did you like the article? share on Pinterest! Did you like the article? Vote on the article Note globale 5 / 5. Number of votes: 6 No votes yet. Be the first to rate this article! Did you like the article? Follow me on social media Sea and beaches Nature and landscapes Road trip Village 0 0 Roman 10/12/2018
