Yūhigaura, the sunset beach

photo by Araisyohei · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the sand, a wooden swing five metres tall, put there for the backlighting.

On the sand stands a wooden swing about five metres high and about four wide, placed there so that people take their photo against the setting sun. Behind it runs a path with benches, for anyone who arrives early and waits. On the nearby knoll an illuminated sign lights up when it gets dark. The beach faces west: that is the only thing that really counts here.

A long beach on the Sea of Japan, facing west. The name means ‘bay of the setting sun’; the beach's other name is 常世の浜, ‘beach of the eternal world’. The seabed slopes gently. On the shore the municipality has set up the swing ビーチブランコゆらり, the path 夕日の路 with benches and, on the knoll 浜詰夕日の丘, a YUHIGAURA sign lit up at night; since July 2024 there has also been a decorated manhole cover.

ℹ️ Open at all times and free; it is a bathing beach in July and August. Ten minutes by bus from Yūhigaura-Kitsuonsen Station, bus stop 外湯花ゆうみ, plus five minutes on foot. ⚠️ The limitation is that it is an end-of-day stop and only delivers what it promises with a clear sky and if you arrive before the sun goes down: anyone who turns up at midday finds a long beach and a swing. Outside the bathing season, facilities are not stated.

🚉 Yūhigaura-Kitsu-onsen · 34 min walk

Sources: kyotango.gr.jp · uminokyoto.jp

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