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AMANOHASHIDATE |
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At the far eastern end of the San-in coast, some 90km from Tottori,
the stubby peninsula of Tango-hanto leans protectively over Wakasa Bay,
shielding the sand spit AMANOHASHIDATE , the "Bridge to Heaven". As one
of the trio of top scenic views in Japan (the other two being Matsushima
and Miya-jima), Amanohashidate has a lot to live up to. The "bridge" is
actually a 3.6-kilometre ribbon of white sand and pine trees slinking
its way from Monju to Fuchu across the bay, and the recommended way to
view it is from the hillside on either side with your head stuck between
your legs.
Once you're standing upright, you'll find that Amanohashidate and the
surrounding attractions of the Tango-hanto are to northern Kyoto-ken
what Hakone is to Tokyo - a pleasureland of scenic delights, old temples
and shrines and, rare for Japan, good beaches. Expensive and limited
public transport keeps the crowds down, particularly out of season, but
this also means that your own transport will help you get the most out
of this cut-off corner of the Japan Sea coast.
On Mount Nariai above Fucho, the splendidly atmospheric Nariai-ji is one
of the 33 temples on the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage route, while closer
to the summit there is a fantastic view of the bay and coast as far as
away as the Noto-hanto, some 500km northeast. East along the Tango-hanto
lies the picturesque fishing hamlet of Ine, while across the bay in
Monju, another attractive wooden temple, Chion-ji , stands on the brink
of the sandbar, which is a lovely area for a quiet stroll or cycle ride,
or lazing on the beach.
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