Spanning around 2 miles (3.3 kilometers), the sandbar is covered with around 7,000 pine trees. The panoramic view includes the bay on either side of the sandbar, as well as snow-capped mountains in the distance. Nestled between the pine trees on the sandbar, Isoshimizu fresh water well is an attraction on its own, having been held in high regard since the Heian Period. Japan's Environmental Agency designated the well as one of the country's 100 best springs and rivers in 1985.
Whether walking across the Amanohashidate sandbar or viewing it from above from a cable car or observation deck, this view is one of the most celebrated in Japan.
Amanohashidate is located in northern Kyoto Prefecture in the Tango-Amanohashidate-Oeyama Quasi-National Park. Around 2 hours from Kyoto or Osaka, you can reach Amanohashidate Station on the Miyazu Line railway. The sandbar is a short walk from the southern end of the station.
To avoid the biggest crowds, try to visit on a weekday and outside of Japanese national holidays. If you don’t mind crowds, cherry blossom season is an attractive time to visit Kasamatsu Park at the northern end of the sandbar. The park’s cherry trees bloom pink and you can admire the sandbar from the observation deck.
Several other attractions can be explored on foot or bicycle at either end of the sandbar. These include a couple of temples, a shrine, and a small amusement park. Visitors can also take sightseeing cruises around the bay or soak up the sun on one of the beaches along the sandbar.
