May 26, 2016
Enjoy Akashi’s Okura Beach
Though there really isn’t a bad time to visit the Seto Inland Sea’s coastline alongside Akashi, the summer season is particularly incredible. With more people venturing outside and gathering to enjoy the mild temperatures and sunshine, Okura Beach provides the perfect setting to experience the best that summer has to offer.
A 5-minute walk from JR Asagiri station will take you right to this gorgeous beach park. There you can enjoy a nice stroll along the sand or walking paths spread out among the grassy parks. With the wide and open beach stretching east to west across the length of Akashi, many runners and cyclists also enjoy making use of the paths. When the beach is crowded, you can see people engaging in all sorts of activities that are open for anyone interested! Whether you’re up for an intense game of shogi (Japanese chess) in the park, swimming in the water, fishing, tasting some of Akashi’s famous seafood from a nearby stand, having a picnic, or simply relaxing on the sand, Okura Beach is truly a hub for summertime fun!
A popular summer pastime throughout Japan is to have barbeque gatherings and enjoy the beautiful natural views of the season. Okura Beach offers many different park plots for you and your friends or family to join together and enjoy a barbeque picnic by the seaside. In the busy season when the weather is the best, make sure to get to the beach early to reserve your grill and picnic area for the day!
One of the highlights of this beach in particular is the scenery at sunset. Looking across the water at Awaji Island in the evening will give you a beautiful view of the colorful sky, as well as the romantic illumination of the Akashi Kaikyo suspension bridge which is lit up at night. If you’ve spent the whole day on the beach or just drop by for the nighttime sights, checking out the views over the water is definitely worth your while.
Since the beach is close in proximity to a lot of the best area restaurants, shopping, and the popular fish market Uontana, it is the perfect resting point for your day of exploring the beautiful port city of Akashi.
Okura Kaigan
Location: Okura Kaigandori, Akashi 673-0879, Hyogo Prefecture
Admission: Free
By halfrain (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Justin Hanus editor
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