Amanohashidate, which roughly means Bridge of Heaven, is a 3.6-kilometer-long, pine-covered sandbar. It straddles Miyazu Bay on the Tango Peninsula in northern Kyoto Prefecture. It has been selected as one of the three major landscapes in Japan.
The only thing worth seeing in Amanohashidate is Amanohashidate itself. The best view of the land bridge is from the hillside on the south or north side. There are chair lifts and gear trains on the south side, which can be taken to the viewing area, where there is a small amusement park. There are chairlifts and electric trains/trams on the north side that take visitors to the viewing area, where there is a small coffee and snack bar. Buy tickets at the bottom of the elevator. They are clearly marked and easy to find.
The standard way to view Amanohashidate is to turn your back on Amanohashidate, then bend down and look upside down from between your legs – this makes Amanohashidate appear to be floating in heaven, which brings good luck.
The rotating bridge on the south side of Amanohashidate is unique, but it’s by no means a must-see. The middle section of the bridge can be rotated 90 degrees to allow ships to pass, rather than being raised like traditional drawbridges.The bridge is located near the shrine and the boats that carry tourists to the north side of Amanohashidate
The small villages on the north and south sides of the land bridge are relatively short and can be easily reached on foot. In the village of Wenshu on the south side of the land bridge, the train station is just a few hundred feet away from numerous hotels, noodle shops, dried fish shops and tourist shops.
One can rent a bike from one of the many bike rental shops around Amanohashidate, ride across the land bridge, and cycle to local tourist attractions in the surrounding area.
If motorized transportation is your thing, small motorboats can ferry passengers on both the north and south sides of Amanohashidate. These boats are inexpensive and only take 5 to 10 minutes to cross the land bridge. On the south side of Amanohashidate, boats dock near the shrine.
