October itinerary in Japan Day 6 (Kyoto Day 1)
(Monday, October 25)
Table of contents
1. Kyoto Tango Railway
On the 6th day, I went to Amanohashidate from Nishi-Maizuru. The trains I boarded are as follows.
Depart Nishi-Maizuru Station at 9:18, Kyoto Tango Railway Miyamai Line bound for Toyooka, arrive at Amahashidate Station at 10:14, fare Yen 650
Kyoto Tango Railway is a railway operator operated by WILLER TRAINS Co., Ltd. WILLER TRAINS Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of WILLER Co., Ltd., which also handles high-speed buses and tour buses. The train I took to Amanohashidate was a little retro and well-designed train. There were few passengers.
The limited express train “Tango no Umi” of Kyoto Tango Railway stopped at Nishi-Maizuru Station. “Tango no Umi” was designed by Eiji Mitooka, a leading Japanese railway designer. It’s a very cool train. Mr. Eiji Mitooka has designed many railway vehicles such as “Nanatsuboshi in Kyushu,” “The Royal Express,” and “Kyushu Shinkansen 800 Series.”
2. Chionji Temple
I went to Chionji Temple, which is less than 5 minutes on foot from Amanohashidate Station. It is on the way from Amanohashidate Station to Amanohashidate.
Chionji Temple is known as one of the three Manjusri Bodhisattva temples in Japan (the other two are Yamato Abe in Nara Prefecture and Oshu Kameoka in Yamagata Prefecture). The Manjusri Bodhisattva is a symbol of the wisdom of the Buddha. The year of its foundation is said to be 904, when Emperor Daigo gave them the title of “Chionji Temple on Mt. Amahashi”. Chionji is a temple of the Rinzai sect Myoshinji school, and the Rinzai sect is one of the Zen sect.
The Tahoto, which was completed in 1501, is a national important cultural property. The principal image of the wooden Manjusri Bodhisattva is also a national important cultural property, but it is only opened five times a year.
Chionji Temple is one of the cultural assets that make up the Japanese heritage “Tango Chirimen Textile Road” along with Amanohashidate.
The sanmon gate and Monju-do are also magnificent. The sanmon gate is designated as a cultural property of Miyazu City.
3. Amanohashidate
There is a circular bridge on the river from Chionji Temple to Amanohashidate. It turns 90 degrees each time the ship passes by. The first photo shows the bridge perpendicular to the river, and the second photo shows the bridge rotating, so it is parallel to the river.
Amanohashidate is one of the three most scenic spots in Japan. The other two are Matsushima in Miyagi prefecture and Miyajima in Hiroshima prefecture. In addition, Amanohashidate is a national special place of scenic beauty. However, only sandbars and pine forests can be seen from the flat ground. Amanohashidate takes about 50 minutes one way if you walk across. I walked back from “Amanohashidate Shrine”.
We cannot see the beautiful appearance of Amanohashidate unless we climb to a high place. The main observatories are Amanohashidate Viewland “Hiryukan” (Amanohashidate Station side) and Kasamatsu Park “Shoryukan” (the side across Amanohashidate from Amanohashidate Station). I saw it from Amanohashidate Viewland.
Amanohashidate Viewland Lift / Monorail
Fee: Adults Yen 850, Children Yen 450
Kasamatsu Park Amahashidate Cable Car / Lift
Fee (round trip): Adults Yen 680, Children Yen 340
4. Ine Funaya (boat house)
I moved from Amanohashidate to Ine by bus (Tango Kairiku Kotsu). The bus I boarded are as follows.
Depart Amanohashidate station at 11:40, Kyogamisaki line, arrive at Ine at 12:39 , fare Yen 400
Ine has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Traditional Buildings by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Ine Funaya is a building with a residence above the storage of the ship. The reason why the ship’s storage can be placed so that it faces the sea is that the waves in Ine Bay are very calm.
I went sightseeing after hearing about it at the Ine Tourist Information. Unfortunately, it was raining on the day I visited, so the only sightseeing in Ine was to visit “Ine Funaya”. If the weather is nice, you can rent a bicycle for free at the Ine Tourist Information, or take a sightseeing boat (large sightseeing boat) or sea taxi to visit the boathouse from the sea.
On rainy days, it is recommended to visit the inside of the boat house. The two boat houses were free to go around and cost Yen 600 for adults and Yen 300 for children.
Overtourism has become a problem in Ine as it has become famous as a tourist destination in recent years. We must strictly adhere to the privacy protection of local residents and take care not to make noise.
5. Move to Himeji
After finishing the tour of “Ine Funaya”, I moved from Ine to Miyazu station by bus, and from Miyazu station to Himeji station by train. The buses and trains I boarded are as follows.
Depart Ine 14:42, Kamanyu Line, arrive at Miyazu Station 15:53, fare Yen 400
Depart Miyazu Station at 16:01, Kyoto Tango Railway Limited Express Hashidate No. 6, arrive at Fukuchiyama Station at 16:32
Depart Fukuchiyama Station at 16:48, JR Limited Express Kinosaki No. 9, arrive at Wadayama Station at 17:19
Depart Wadayama Station at 17:56, JR Limited Express Hamakaze No. 6, arrive at Himeji Station at 19:00
Total train fare Yen 5,560 (including limited express ticket)
On the timetable, the bus arrives at Miyazu Station at 15:53. Actually, I arrived about 3 minutes late, so I had to run when I got on the “Limited Express Hashidate No. 6”. We recommend that you buy a ticket in advance or act with a little more time.
It was my first experience in my life to transfer three limited express trains a day. The sixth day of this trip was the longest day of travel distance.
Note: The departure / arrival times, fees, and admission fees for transportation listed in the text are as of the time of writing the BLOG. Please check for yourself when you go on a trip as it may change in the future.