*Click Here for Day #1 of our New Year’s Road Trip in Japan.

We got up pretty early and were welcomed with a partial sunrise. We had spent the night in the car at the Suruga Bay Numazu Service Area. It was pretty cold in the morning and we were glad we decided to bring some extra blankets. We got up, brushed our teeth real quick and set up the car for driving. We left by 6:00 and began Day #2 of our New Year’s Road Trip in Japan.

Along the way we were treated to some beautiful views of Mt. Fuji. We took a quick bathroom break at the Hamamatsu Service Area. Inside, we passed a Yuru Camp display and couldn’t resist getting an embroidered Rin hand towel.

Okazaki Service Area

We jumped back on the road for another hour or so before stopping at the Okazaki Service Area. We decided to share a delcious Miso Tonkatsu Don from Misokatsu Yabaton. It was flavorful and filling, we would definitely get it again.

Roadside Station Uminpia Oi

We were a little short on time and decided to abandon our stop at the Wakasa Obama Fish Center. Instead we headed for Meikyodo Cave. Along the way we stopped for a quick bathroom break at Roadside Station Uminpia Oi. Afterwards, we got back on the road for about 15 minutes.

We had read some reviews that parking around Meikyodo Cave would be difficult, so we decided to park at Umikara which was a seaside grocery store. We went inside to get some snacks and were quite impressed. They had a nice selection of live fish in large recirculating tanks as well as other seafood products. We were surprised that the overall prices seemed quite reasonable considering small boutique grocery stores usually have higher prices in general. There was also a small seafood focused restaurant inside that had wonderful views of Takahama port.

Meikyodo Cave

We then made our way over to Meikyodo Cave. It was a nice 10 minute walk through Takahama fishing port. We walked through Shiroyama Park and found the cave on the far side. It was really beautiful. There was a little cove where the water was relatively calm. There was an observation on the connecting hill, so we decided to go check it out. It was a short five minute walk that gave us wonderful unobstructed views of Wakasa Bay. We snapped some pictures before heading back to car.

Afterwards, we got back on the road and headed towards the Amanohashidate Viewland. We were a little concerned that parking might be an issue. We had heard that the area gets pretty busy. Luckily, there weren’t very many people at all. It was pretty cold and windy that day. We were able to park right across the street from the main terminal for the tram. We happily paid the ¥500 for parking.

Amanohashidate

We walked across the street and bought roundtrip tickets to the top. They were a pretty reasonable ¥850/person. The tram ran three times an hour. We didn’t have to wait long as there was almost no line. The tram consisted of two cars with room for about 10 people each. There was also a chairlift that took people up one at a time.

The tram ride was a short seven minute trip to the top. The views from the top were beautiful. We had a wonderful unobstructed view of Amanohashidate and the surrounding Asoumi Sea. Amanohashidate was quite a site to see. The dense green foliage with the deep blue ocean water was beautiful.

Three Great Views of Japan

We were excited to complete the Three Great Views of Japan trifecta. Amanohashidate, along with the Miyajima Tori Gate in Hiroshima and the islands of Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture made up the Three Great Views of Japan. We had visited Miyajima Island during our visit in 2017 and recently, we’ve visited Matsushima a couple times since living in Japan.

We made sure to do the iconic between your legs view of Amanohashidate. There were over a half dozen stations so we didn’t have to wait in line. There were also a number of small amusement park type rides that could be ridden on an a la carte basis. They had a small Ferris wheel, cycling coaster, merry go round, go cart track, archery range, among others. We stopped by the souvenir shop to try their delicious looking pudding.

Before heading out we decided to try the Kawarake-Nage (Lucky Pottery Throwing). The cost was ¥300 for three small pottery plates. The object was to throw the plates through a ring called chie-no-wa (ring of wisdom) to avoid evil and calamity. The plates were pretty small and flat, so we decided that flinging them with a rock skipping type motion was best. We are proud to say that we got two of three through the chie-no-wa (ring of wisdom).

We wrapped up our picture taking and decided to head down the hill. It was pretty cold and windy, so we decided to stick with the tram. We really enjoyed our time at the Amanohashidate Viewland. The facilities were all modern and all the equipment seemed to be well maintained. It was a short seven minute ride down to the base terminal.

Kinosaki Onsen

We then headed back to the car and made our way to our lodging for the night at Sennen no Yu Gonzaemon in Kinosaki Onsen. It was getting dark by this time and it started snowing which was a bit of challenge. We took our time and were grateful to have our “fuyu tires” (winter tires). The drive was about an hour and a half and took us along a windy mountain road.

Bon

We arrived in Kinosaki Onsen and were able to check into our ryokan without issue. We dropped off our stuff, got settled a bit before heading out for dinner. For dinner we decided to try Kinosaki Onsen’s local specialty which was crab. We went to Bon which was located just down the street from our ryokan Sennen no Yu Gonzaemon. The crab was reasonably priced and delicious.

After dinner, we headed back to the ryokan. We got changed into some of the complimentary yukata, before heading to the first floor to take a bath. The bath was nice and relaxing. We headed back to the room and enjoyed some of the delicious pudding we got at Amanohashidate Viewland. The pudding was really good. It had a light taste which really brought out the vanilla flavor. It came in this beautiful jar. The room was a bit chilly, so we set the heater on a timer and made sure to close the sliding doors that led to the sink and bathroom. We packed up a bit before calling it a night.

Final Thoughts

Wow, what a day. We clocked in over seven and a half hours of driving for the day making it one of the longest on our New Year’s Road Trip in Japan. Our go to plan of starting early was essential to the day’s success. We were able to get to the Amanohashidate Viewland with just enough sunlight to see everything. If we had left any later or dilly dallied for too long, we would have missed it. We also learned that Kinosaki Onsen was a fabulous place, we could have easily spent the whole day there. Between the seven famous onsen, the picturesque river, and numerous cute cafes and shops, we will definitely be coming back.

More to Come…

*Click Here for Day #3 of our New Year’s Road Trip in Japan.