Driving Around the Tango Peninsula

This driving course follows the coastline from the Ine-no-Funaya Boathouses to Kyogamisaki Lighthouse at the tip of the Tango Peninsula, takes in views of the Sea of Japan coast from the Tango Matsushima Observation Point and Tateiwa Rock, and reaches the singing sands of Kotohikihama Beach. Over the course of a day, you can appreciate coastal roads flanked by cliffs and natural terrain shaped by rocks and sandy shores.

History and Regional Appeal

The Tango Peninsula projects into the Sea of Japan from northern Kyoto Prefecture. In Ine Bay in the town of Ine, located in the northeastern part of the peninsula, approximately 230 funaya (boathouses with boat garages on the first floor) stand in a row. It was selected as the nation's first fishing village designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Cape Kyoga, situated at the tip of the peninsula, is the northernmost point of the Kinki region. Kyogamisaki Lighthouse, constructed in 1898 during the Meiji period, continues to shine out over the sea today.

The route from Ine toward Cape Kyoga runs along the coastline, weaving through sheer, craggy rock faces that characterize the Tango Peninsula. Continuous views looking down upon the deep blue sea have earned it a reputation as one of the prominent driving and cycling routes in Kansai. The coast extending from Cape Kyoga to Tango Matsushima, Byobuiwa Rock, and Tateiwa Rock is collectively registered as a Kyoto Prefecture Landscape Asset under the name "Coastal Landscape of Tango's Tateiwa, Byobuiwa, Tango Matsushima, and Cape Kyoga." The cliff face at the cape lined with pillar-like fractures, the string of rocks across the inlet at Tango Matsushima, Tateiwa Rock connected to the mainland by a sandspit, and Kotohikihama Beach where the sand makes a sound when walked upon—landscapes formed by the sea and earth appear one after another.

Major Highlights

• ​Kyogamisaki Lighthouse​​: A 13.7-meter-tall white lighthouse that utilizes a first-order lens—one of only five in Japan—and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2022 (Reiwa 4). Andesite cliffs with pillar-like cracks continue around the cape; it is said that the name Cape Kyoga arose because these columnar joints resemble standing rolls of Buddhist sutra scrolls.
• ​Tango Matsushima Observation Point and Tateiwa Rock​​: Tango Matsushima is a coastal area where large rocks line both sides of an inlet, making it appear as though numerous islets are floating in the sea. It was named for its resemblance to the view of Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture. To the west, at the mouth of the Takeno River, stands the monolithic Tateiwa Rock, measuring approximately 20 meters in height. Although originally an isolated island, it became linked to the mainland by a sandspit formed from river sediment.
• ​Kotohikihama Beach​​: A white sand and green pine beach spanning approximately 1.8 kilometers in total length, where all of the sand is singing sand. When you walk across the dry sand with a shuffling motion, it produces a squeaking sound. The beach is designated as a National Natural Monument and Place of Scenic Beauty, and smoking is prohibited there to protect the sand.

Recommended Route and Travel Time

The estimated time required is around 7 hours by car. For the Ine-no-Funaya Boathouses, you can look down on the boathouses lining the bay from the elevated Michi-no-Eki Funaya-no-Sato Ine. Roads are narrow in the area where the boathouses stand, so please park your vehicle in designated parking areas.

From Ine to Cape Kyoga, the straight-line distance northwest is about 13 kilometers. Along the way, you will find Urashima-jinja Shrine, the setting of the tale of Urashima Taro, as well as the cliff-lined Kamaya Coast; it takes about 8 minutes by car from the Kamaya Coast to Kyogamisaki Lighthouse. Reaching the lighthouse requires walking up an unpaved mountain trail from the Cape Kyoga parking lot, so wearing comfortable walking shoes is recommended. In Sodeshi, approximately 15 minutes by car from the lighthouse, lie the Sodeshi Rice Terraces, chosen as one of Japan's Top 100 Rice Terraces, where the sea, village, and terraced paddies blend together.

About 8 kilometers west in a straight line from Cape Kyoga along National Route 178, the Tango Matsushima Observation Point has a parking lot; take care with entering and exiting vehicles as it is located right next to a tunnel. It takes around 10 minutes by car from the observation point to Tateiwa Rock. Taiza, where Tateiwa Rock is located, is a fishing town known for Taiza crab, with the crab fishing season opening every year on November 6. It takes about 15 minutes by car from Taiza to Kotohikihama Beach. The sand makes sounds best when it is dry after consecutive sunny days, and rarely makes sound on rainy days or right after rain; visiting the nearby Kotohikihama Singing Sand Museum to learn about how singing sand works is also recommended.

Experience Summary

The rows of boathouses seemingly floating on the sea, the white lighthouse standing on the northernmost cape of Kinki, the rocky coast resembling Matsushima alongside a monolith standing upon a sandspit, and the white sand squeaking beneath your feet. Follow the cliff-lined coastline and spend a day touring the land and sea sceneries of the Tango Peninsula.