Sponsored by Takahama Town
Although I’m convinced that you can arrive in Takahama without any prior planning and still having a great time, I know that some of us like to have a bit more structure in our travel plans.So here are few suggested locations and activities to help you enjoy your time at Takahama’s beautiful beaches!
Suggestion 1: Takahama’s Zen Beach, Wakamiya!
Wakamiya Beach, one of Takahama’s Zen beaches, located in close proximity to another popular location in Takahama (Meikyodo Cave) is a great place to relax and take in the scenery. This beach is a lot less crowded than Wakasa-Wada Beach so it’s title of ZEN Beach really makes sense. The beach is also close to a small farming village, if you want to dry off after a swim I’d recommend walking through the street a bit to see what you can find.
A view of Mt. Aoba from Wakamiya Beach
A fishing park next to the beach
Suggestion 2: A Calligraphy Class with world renowned calligrapher Kaku!
One of the highlights of my time in Takahama, was the calligraphy class that I had with the extremely talented calligrapher Kaku. As much as I enjoyed trying and failing to create some decent looking kanji, it was even more fun watching a master at work! Kaku is a really kind and passionate teacher and I’m sure you’ll enjoy every moment of your time with this truly skilled artist. Kaku has been practicing calligraphy for over 30 years! And his work can be seen around the world from Tokyo to New York, and all the way to Paris, France. For a really one of a kind experience in the traditional Japanese art of calligraphy, you’ll definitely want to book a class with Kaku.
Check out Kaku’s awesome Youtube video and Instagram!
IG: https://www.instagram.com/n.kaku0526/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLOcF8opEBY&t=1s&list=PL0t-JxWgi2E7NTgyq9n29HEm3PcstUuUB&index=6
My name written by the master himself. My embarrassing attempt at calligraphy will remain hidden away until the end of my days…
Notice the colorful dyed paper, this style of dying originated in Fukui Prefecture.
Suggestion 3: The Blue Cafe near Wakasa-Wada Blue Flag Beach!
The Blue Cafe, which opened in Takahama this past April, serves a delicious assortment of coffee/tea, lunch, and dessert. I had the opportunity to try out a few of their menu items I can say with confidence that this is one of the best cafes I’ve ever been to! The atmosphere of this cafe really gives off a beach side cafe vibe. It’s a great place to relax and plan out your day in Takahama!
An espresso latte, if I remember correctly. Whatever it was it tasted great!
A very colorful rice and egg dish
Awesome Assam tea and a dessert with cake and ice cream.
Suggestion 4: Check out the beach-side shops at Wakasa-Wada Blue Flag Beach!
Rain or shine everyone is ready to enjoy this amazing Blue Flag Beach!
Aside from swimming, tanning, or trying out SUP/SUP Yoga it’s also fun to just walk along the boardwalk and see what kind of shops you come across. While walking around I found a shop that served shaved ice, BBQ and some of those important beach items that you might have forgotten to pack.
Suggestion 5: Another Zen Beach! Nabae Beach
Stormy weather can’t stop visitors from enjoying these great beaches.
The second of Takahama’s Zen Beaches, Nabae Beach is a bit farther away from the center of town, but well worth the trip if you have access by car or perhaps by bicycle. This beach seems to have the benefit of allowing vehicles onto the beach, which is great if you’d like to bring some bigger items that may not be allowed on Wakasa-Wada Beach. There’s also a parking lot nearby with a really great view of the entire Takahama area.
Access to Takahama, Fukui
From Kyoto Station take the Hashidate Express to Ayabe Station, at Ayabe transfer to the Maizuru Line and take the train to Higashi-Maizuru Station, from there take the Obama Line to Wakasa-Takahama Station.
Or take the JR Maizuru Line to Higashi-Maizuru, then the JR Obama Line to Wakasa-Takahama Station. Duration: approx. 2 hours, cost: approx 4,400 yen.
For a more detailed guide on how to get to this amazing beach check out my article on Easy Access to Wakasa Takahama from Kyoto Station.
