“Miho no Matsubara (Miho Beach) ” along the Miho coast is a visiting hotspot in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka. It is a 7-kilometer stretch of coastal shoal lined with as many as around 30,000 pine trees. It is famous for its stunning views of Mt. Fuji and Izu Peninsula in Suruga Bay. What about reaching out for those expansive scene constituted by “Mt. Fuji”, the designated world heritage?
The Miho Beach in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
The Miho Beach lies along the east coast of the Miho Peninsula in Suruga Bay spreading from the Shimizu Port. The shoal has been famous since the past and known as “Miho no Matsubara” with a breathtaking view constituted by Mt. Fuji, the white of the waves of the azure sea hitting the green of the pine grove. It has been designated as a World Heritage in 2013 as a part of “Mt. Fuji- the subject of worship and the origin of art”.
The grove is also famous for a legend of Hagoromo of the heavenly maiden- when a heavenly maiden was bathing, she hung her gown on a pine branch and a fisherman took away her gown and asked her to dance in return for giving the gown back. The pine tree is still there- a black pine in the legend that is 650 years old and has beautifully shaped branches that once “the gown hung on”.
Highlights of Miho beach along the Miho coast (miho beach)
The highlight of the Miho coast is the “Miho no Matsubara” with the sea, the beach, pine trees, and Mt. Fuji. It is especially advisable to visit the spot in winter when Mt. Fuji is covered by snow. It is also nice to walk along the nicely paved trail by the coast with great views and stone monuments. At the end all the way through the trees you reach the beach, at where you would be amazed by the view of Mt. Fuji and the beautiful blue sea.
The View of Miho beach and Mt. Fuji portrayed by Utagawa Hiroshige
The beauty of “Miho no Matsubara” is portrayed in many pictures and poems since the ancient time, including the work by famous Ukiyo-e (type of Japanese painting) painter Hiroshige Utagawa. The series of landscape print “The Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” is a nice depiction of the sceneries of Mt. Fuji and the pine grove in Miho. Besides, the art work of “The Fifty-three stations of Tokaido” also gives striking details of the huge number of trading ships at the Shimizu port.
How to Get to Miho Beach?
To reach Miho Beach from Tokyo, firstly get on Shinkansen (bullet train) at “Tokyo station” and travel to “Atami station”, which takes approx. 40-mins. Then, transit to JR line and travel to “Shimizu station” (around 10 mins). After that, get on the bus bound for Miho at the station and stay on broad for around 25 mins. Get off at “Miho Matsubara Iriguchi” and walk for 10 mins.
Spot Information
- Spot name：Miho no Matsubara (Miho Beach)
- Street Address：Miho, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture
- Access：Tokyo station → [Shinkansen] 40 minutes → Atami station → [JR] 10 minutes → Shimizu station → [Bus] 25 minutes → Miho Matsubara Iriguchi…walk for around 10 mins
- Wi-Fi : Unavailable
- Ticket：Free admission
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