Sunset Over Chichibugahama Beach (父母ヶ浜の夕陽)

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia of Japan where the waters mirror the sky!

From Kotohira I took the shuttle-bus to the beach, the duration took about 40 mins one way, I was with a couple of tourists and it was very exciting to finally be able to visit the beach that I’ve fantasied about. During my time online looking for pretty places to visit, I found many beautiful pictures of this beach which resembled scenes from anime i.e. Spirited Away or Kimi No Na Wa. So I had to make it there to see it for myself.

Of course it is a natural occurrence, so it really depends entirely on mother nature. During the low tide you’ll be able to view the reflection of the sky on the tide pools you’d find in the sand, there’s many patches of water available so it was easy getting pretty pictures. The trick is to aim your camera low!

When I arrived it wasn’t over-crowded at all, there were still many people around but it was still quiet. Every now and then I came across white, almost see through little crabs…They appeared like ghosts wondering around on the sand.

The shuttle-bus operates specifically for people who want to arrive just before the *Golden Hour* when the sun begins to set so you can enjoy having enough time to take pictures and witness a picturesque sunset. The bus is not free, so you will need to pay 2500 Yen (return trip) if you’re planning to depart from Kotohira. I think the Takamatsu departure will cost more but it’s worth it! Plus, it was an experience I shall never forget.

If you have a car, even better! Because the nearest station is Takuma Station (詫間駅) which is about a 10-15 min drive away, and if you were to leg-it from there, google says it’s over an hour. However, there is a community bus you can take at Takuma Station, it offers about 6 return journey per day between Mon-Sat. But do note, it doesn’t run on public holidays or on Sundays.

Overall, I had so much fun here. This was the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen!! I use to dislike beaches because I didn’t like getting sand everywhere…But the older I became the most I began to love and appreciate them.

—Tofu