• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Do
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Get out

Amanohashidate (天橋立), the meaning of which is roughly bridge in heaven, is a 3.6 kilometer 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.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By train

Direct Hashidate (はしだて) limited expresses run four times a day and connect Kyoto Station to Amanohashidate in 106 minutes (¥4,310). Alternatively, connect at Fukuchiyama (福知山) or Nishi-Maizuru (西舞鶴) to the Kita-Kinki Tango Miyafuku Line (北近畿タンゴ宮福線); you can manage the trip with local trains for as little as ¥2200, but this will take over three hours and require several transfers.

[edit] Get around

[edit] See

The only thing to see in Amanohashidate is, well, Amanohashidate itself. The canonical way to view the bridge is to turn your back to it, then bend over and look at it upside down from between your legs — this is supposed to make the bridge appear as if it floats to heaven.

[edit] Do

One can rent bicycles at one of the many bicycle rental shops around Amanohashidate and cross the land-bridge, bike around to various surrounding local tourist spots., etc...

Swim on the sandbar in the summertime while eating dried squid.

[edit] Buy

Dried seafood.

[edit] Do

Stay overnight so you can get up early (6am in Oct) and watch the cormorants & mist lift with the sunrise to reveal the pristine sandy bar that is the Bridge / Passage to Heaven.

Plus if you're quite lucky - you might meet a sumo wrestler! Be judicious about your hotel or ryokan, there are some with outdoor tubs on a second floor balcony and some with no view at all.

[edit] Eat

Seafood.

[edit] Drink

There are some local wineries.

[edit] Sleep

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 yen per person per night.

[edit] Get out