Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park (天橋立傘松公園) is where you discover another face of Amanohashidate. The view from there is called Shōryū-kan (昇龍観), meaning ascending dragon. Compared to Amanohashidate View Land, Kasamatsu Park is probably a better place for natural scenery. On the way to the top of the mountain, the surroundings are covered by cherry blossoms in spring and bright-colored leaves in autumn.
Table of Contents
- How to Get to Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
- Cable Car and Chairlift at Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
- Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park: The Birthplace of Matanozoki (股のぞき発祥の地)
- Pottery Plate Throwing at Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
- The Best Time to Visit Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
- Nariaiji Temple: The Best Spot for the Shōryū-kan View (昇龍観)
How to Get to Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
Because Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park is located on the other side of the sandbar, it is easier to get there by taking the Tankai Bus or Amanohashidate Sightseeing Boat.
- Tankai Bus: Board the bus from Amanohashidate Station (天橋立駅) and get off at Amanohashidate Cable-sita (天橋立ケーブル下). A couple of bus routes will stop at both bus stops.
- Please refer to HERE for the timetable.
- The cable car/chairlift station is just a 3-minute walk away from the bus stop.
- Amanohashidate Sightseeing Boat: Take the boat from Amanohashidate Pier (天橋立桟橋) and get off at Ichinomiya Ferry Terminal (一の宮桟橋)
- Please refer to HERE for the timetable.
- The cable car/chairlift station is less than a 5-minute walk from the ferry terminal.
- Do expect some upward slope from the pier.
Cable Car and Chairlift at Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
Similar to Amanohashidate View Land, there are two modes of transportation to Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park: cable car and chairlift. The only difference is that you can walk your way up, which takes around 50 minutes.
Like Amanohashidate View Land, take the cable car up and chairlift down. This is so you can see the sandbar on the way up and down.
For opening hours and ticket information, please refer to Tango Kairiku Kōtsū’s (丹後海陸交通) website HERE.
Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park: The Birthplace of Matanozoki (股のぞき発祥の地)
While nowadays, Amanohashidate View Land also has platforms where people bend down to see Amanohashidate. Kasamatsu Park was the first place where people started viewing the sandbar this way. That may be why there are more platforms for you to perform the amusing pose at Kasamatsu Park.
Note that the real Birthplace of Matanozoki is around a 3-minute walk from where the park’s cafe is. Passing the bus stop bound for Nariaiji Temple (成相寺), there is a set of staircases (refer to the 1st photo in the IG post).
The platforms there are not as well maintained, but the view from there is a lot better (the last photo in the IG post)!
Note that the café and restaurant have no vegetarian menu available.
HERE is a map that will give you some visual idea of what is where. It is in Japanese only, but there are photos that can help paint the picture. Also, you can translate the page by using the translation function of Google Chrome.
Pottery Plate Throwing at Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
A fun activity to do at Kasamatsu Park is trying to throw the round plates into the ring. It is said that if you manage to do so, something good will happen to you (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
It is a lot harder than it looks though! Do you see the black dot in the sky in the Instagram post? That was a plate that a girl threw.
Because it is a popular activity, you will get a large crowd cheering for you if you manage to throw your plate into the loop!
The Best Time to Visit Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park
If you are after the rare snowy scenery in the photo, your best chances are between late January and early February. While the snow season starts somewhere in December, the pine trees probably won’t be covered in snow at the beginning of winter.
- The cherry blossom season is usually from early to mid-April. But note that the flowers seem to bloom earlier these years due to unusual weather.
- For the fall foliage, aim for mid to late November.
Nariaiji Temple: The Best Spot for the Shōryū-kan View (昇龍観)
From the side of Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park, you can catch the Nariaiji Mountaineering Bus (成相寺登山バス) to get to the 28th temple of the 33 Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, Nariaiji. It is the best spot for the Shōryū-kan View.
In fact, the scenery the temple offers is breathtaking. If you are not in a rush, heading to the Naraiji is highly recommended.
For more information, refer to our Nariaiji Temple article!
Discover Other Attractions in Amanohashidate
Obviously, Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park isn’t the only attraction in the celebrated destination in Kyoto.
Check out our article on Amanohashidate to find out what else you can do there and how the 5,000 pine trees can grow on the 3.6 km sandbar surrounded by seawater!
