From Amanohashidate to Ine-no-Funaya Boathouses (Car / Bus)

This course takes you north across the pine grove of Amanohashidate, one of Japan's Three Scenic Views, to pray at Kono-jinja Shrine—the ichinomiya (primary shrine) of Tango Province—before traveling by car or local bus to Ine to view the Ine-no-Funaya Boathouses via sightseeing boat and walking. Enjoy this classic combination of Amanohashidate and Ine together in a single day.

History and Regional Appeal

Amanohashidate is a sandbar approximately 3.6 kilometers long that divides Miyazu Bay and the Aso Sea, densely populated by around 5,400 pine trees. Amanohashidate is counted as one of Japan's Three Scenic Views alongside Matsushima in Mutsu and Miyajima in Aki. The Tango Fudoki records that a ladder built by Izanagi-no-Mikoto to link heaven and earth fell into the sea while he slept, becoming a long, narrow strip of land. Kono-jinja Shrine, nestled near the northern tip of the sandbar, is the ichinomiya of Tango Province. Because tradition says Toyouke-no-Okami and Amaterasu-Omikami were enshrined here together before each moved to Ise, it is called "Motoise."

About a 30-minute drive from Amanohashidate lies the town of Ine in the northeastern part of the Tango Peninsula. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, Ine Bay is a calm inlet with small tidal variations, featuring Aoshima floating in the south-facing bay entrance. Along the bay's shore stand around 230 buildings known as funaya (boathouses). In 2005, the Ine-ura area, lined with boathouses storing boats on the first floor, became the first fishing village nationwide to be designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. A sandbar steeped in myth and a fishing village streetscape living with the sea to this day: connect two landscapes of contrasting charm in a single day.

Major Highlights

• ​Amanohashidate​​: The view from Amanohashidate View Land atop Mt. Monju to the south is called "Hiryukan" (flying dragon view), while the view from Kasamatsu Park halfway up Mt. Nariai to the north is called "Shoryukan" (rising dragon view). Bending over and looking back through your legs in the "Matanozoki" pose flips the sea and sky, making Amanohashidate look like a bridge suspended in the heavens. Cars cannot enter the sandbar; traversing it takes about 50 minutes on foot one way, or about 20 minutes by bicycle as a general guide.
• ​Kono-jinja Shrine​​: The principal deity is Hikohoakari-no-Mikoto, and the main hall is built in the shinmei-zukuri style identical to Ise Grand Shrine. Five-colored suetama gems in blue, yellow, red, white, and black line the veranda railing. The stone komainu (guardian lions) in front of the shrine are Kamakura-period masterpieces and Important Cultural Properties of Japan. You can also walk north from the main shrine to the rear shrine, Manai-jinja Shrine.
• ​Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat and Ine-no-Funaya Boathouses​​: Departing from Hide, this roughly 25-minute cruise allows you to gaze from the water at the front openings of the boathouses where vessels enter and exit—a sight unseen from land. Feeding the seagulls that flock around the boat as it sets out is also popular. After disembarking, view the boathouses straight-on around Ine-ura Park or look down across the bay from the elevated Michi-no-Eki Funaya-no-Sato Ine to enjoy the perspective from land.

Suggested Itinerary and Travel Time

Allow around 7 hours in total, spending the morning at Amanohashidate and Kono-jinja Shrine, and the afternoon in Ine. Amanohashidate is about a 5-minute walk from Amanohashidate Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway. Besides walking or cycling north through the pine grove, a sightseeing boat from Amanohashidate Pier takes about 12 minutes to Ichinomiya Pier on the north side, which is about a 3-minute walk to Kono-jinja Shrine. A cable car departs from beside Kono-jinja Shrine up to Kasamatsu Park, so taking in the Shoryukan view before heading to Ine is also recommended.

By car, Ine is about 30 minutes from Amanohashidate, and Kasamatsu Park is located on the way toward the boat boarding area. By local bus, it takes about 26 minutes from the "Amanohashidate Motoise Kono-jinja" stop near Kono-jinja Shrine, or about 53 minutes from Amanohashidate Station. If you are taking the sightseeing boat, get off the bus at "Ine Bay Meguri Hide," right in front of the boarding pier. The area lined with boathouses is about 1 kilometer northeast of the pier.

Ine-ura remains an active residential town. The interiors, grounds, and piers of the boathouses are entirely private property, so do not enter them or peer inside through windows. When taking photos, be mindful not to capture residents or the interiors of homes, and refrain from talking loudly. Streets are extremely narrow, so avoid street parking, park in designated lots, and explore on foot. There are no trash bins in town, so take all trash home with you.

Experience Summary

A pine grove stretching across a sandbar, twin dragon-like vistas, an ancient shrine called Motoise, and the array of boathouses viewed from the sea. Trace two landscapes of contrasting atmosphere in a single day, from mythical Amanohashidate to Ine-ura, where daily life still thrives along the sea.