Ine-no-Funaya Boathouses and Ine Bay Tour

This course takes you aboard the Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat from the Hide boarding point to view the lined Funaya boathouses along Ine Bay from the sea, followed by a walk through the townscape of Ine-ura and a visit to Mukai Sake Brewery, which promotes itself as the "brewery closest to the sea." From the dual perspectives of sea and land, you can appreciate this boathouse town where people still live and fish today.

History and Local Charm

Ine is a town situated in the northeastern part of the Tango Peninsula in northern Kyoto Prefecture. Ine Bay, surrounded on three sides by mountains, has Aoshima Island floating at its south-opening mouth, creating a calm inlet with small tidal fluctuations. Along its coast, approximately 230 buildings known as Funaya stand side by side.

Funaya were originally built to pull boats up from the sea to protect them from wind, rain, and insects. The first floor accommodates boats, while the second floor was once used as a drying area for nets and storage for fishing gear. It is said that people often reside in the main house (omoya) across the street on the mountain side. The Ine-ura area, where Funaya, main houses, and storehouses built from the late Edo period to the early Showa period remain, was selected in 2005 as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, the first fishing village nationwide to receive this designation.

In this fishing town, there is also a sake brewery with a history spanning over 260 years since its founding. The sake crafted here, brewed to complement local ingredients such as delicacies from both sea and mountains, is one of the distinct tastes of Ine.

Key Highlights

• ​Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat​​: A boat journey of about 25 minutes operated by Tango Kairiku Kotsu. From the water, you can view the front side of the Funaya, where the openings through which boats actually enter and exit are orderly arranged—a view not visible from land. Once the boat departs, many seagulls gather, and feeding them is a popular activity. Be cautious of black kites.
• ​Ine-no-Funaya Boathouses​​: Around Ine-ura Park, you can overlook the Funaya lined up as if jutting out into the bay directly from the front. Most of the Funaya are privately owned; those wishing to see inside can apply for an Ine-ura walking guided tour conducted by the Ine Town Tourism Association. There are also cafes, restaurants, and private rental accommodations renovated from Funaya.
• ​Mukai Sake Brewery​​: All sake produced by this brewery is junmai-shu (pure rice sake). Its signature labels are "Ine Mankai," a red sake made with "Murasaki Komachi," an ancient rice revived and cultivated in Ine, and "Kyo no Haru," a sake of this fishing town. In summer, enjoying ice cream made with Ine Mankai sake lees while looking out over the Funaya scenery is also recommended.

Recommended Route & Duration

The estimated time required is around 4 hours. Ine can be reached from Kyoto in about 2 hours by car, or in about 3 hours by train and local bus, and is about 30 minutes by car from Amanohashidate. Travelers are advised to use local buses bound for "Kamanyu" or "Ine Yubinkyoku-mae." For the sightseeing boat, alight at the "Ine Wan Meguri Hide" bus stop, and the boarding area is right in front of you. From the elevated Michi-no-Eki Funaya-no-Sato Ine roadside station, it takes about 5 minutes by car to the boarding area. Operations may be suspended in stormy weather.

After disembarking, head toward the Funaya townscape of Ine-ura. From the boarding point to Mukai Sake Brewery, it is about 940 meters east-northeast in a straight line. Before beginning your walk, stopping by the Ine Tourist Information Center across from Ine-ura Park allows you to check the latest tourist information with guide maps and brochures. Mukai Sake Brewery is just a short walk from the information center. Because the brewery has no parking, visitors arriving by car should park at the Ine-ura Park parking lot and visit on foot.

The area where the Funaya stand is a place where people still live and fish today. Please take care while walking to avoid entering private property mistakenly. Because boats frequently come and go within the Funaya cluster, visitors are advised to refrain from swimming. Drivers are requested to take their sake home and enjoy it along with their travel memories.

Experience Summary

Cruise the bay on a boat accompanied by seagulls, admire the front facades of the Funaya that can only be seen from the sea, step onto land, and walk the street between the Funaya and the main houses. Finally, choose red sake or the fishing town's sake at the local brewery. Please enjoy Ine-ura, where the sea and daily life exist side by side, from the sea, from the land, and through its flavors.