Kehi no Matsubara
licensed photograph663highland / CC BY 2.5

Fukui · TsurugaNo.1307★★Open in map →

Kehi no Matsubara

— Pine grove on the shore of Tsuruga Bay

natureOff the trail — and worth it

A grove of red and black pines along the inner shore of Tsuruga Bay, counted among Japan's three great pine groves and designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty. Paths lead through it from a bus stop at its edge to the beach.

  1. FromTsuruga Station
  2. ~12–18 minCommunity bus from Tsuruga Station
  3. Get off atKehi no Matsubara bus stop (Tsuruga community bus, Matsubara Line)
  4. On foot
  5. Kehi no Matsubara
Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is one of Japan's three great pine groves, so it is not a hidden place. Its crowded weeks are the swimming season, when the beach fills. Outside summer the grove is used mainly for walks, and the paths under the pines are calmer.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

The grove paths663highland / CC BY 2.5
  1. The red pinesthe landward side of the grove, made up mostly of red pines with reddish bark
  2. The grove pathswalking paths that wind under the pines toward the shore
  3. The black pinesthe seaward front of the grove, where black pines take over from the red
  4. The beacha strip of sand facing the inner end of Tsuruga Bay, opened for swimming in summer

How to actually get there

  1. Tsuruga Station → Kehi no Matsubara bus stop (community bus Matsubara Line, about 12–18 min).
  2. Kehi no Matsubara stop → into the grove at its southern edge, then north through the red pines.
  3. On through the black pines to the beach on Tsuruga Bay.
  4. Back to the stop by another path, timed to the return bus.
Matsubara Line bus from Tsuruga Station
JR Tsuruga Station is the rail gateway. From the bus stops at the station, Tsuruga's community bus on the Matsubara Line reaches the Kehi no Matsubara stop in about 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the run. Buses are not frequent, so read the timetable before setting out.
Return from the Kehi no Matsubara stop
Take the Matsubara Line back to Tsuruga Station. Evening services thin out, so check the last bus before you walk out to the beach rather than after.
Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Kehi no Matsubara is a pine grove on the inner shore of Tsuruga Bay, just north of the city centre. It stretches about a kilometre from east to west, with a sand beach along its seaward side. Red and black pines grow together here. Of the two, red pines make up most of the grove. Walking paths wind under the trees. Together with Miho no Matsubara in Shizuoka and Niji no Matsubara in Saga, it is counted among Japan's three great pine groves. In summer the beach in front of it opens for swimming.

How to enjoy it

From Tsuruga Station the Matsubara Line bus takes about 12 to 18 minutes, and the stop sits right at the grove's southern edge. Walk north through the red pines to the black pines and the beach, then come back by a different path. Buses are spaced through the day rather than every few minutes, so check the return times posted at the stop when you arrive.

Background & history

Local tradition says the grove appeared overnight in the reign of Emperor Shomu, as a foreign fleet approached. White herons, messengers of the Kehi shrine deity, settled on the pines, and the fleet took them for an army's banners and withdrew. The grove was long part of Kehi Jingu's sacred grounds, until Oda Nobunaga seized it. In the Edo period it was Obama domain forest, and Utagawa Hiroshige drew it for his views of the provinces. It became a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 1928. In 1943 part of it was felled for ships' timber; today it is national forest.

Before you go

Cash
The community bus charged a flat adult fare of 200 yen at the time of checking, payable in cash or with a transit IC card such as ICOCA or Suica. A one-day pass is also sold. No admission charge is listed for the grove.
Before you go
The beach opens for swimming only in high summer, and those weeks are the busiest on the paths too. A few times a year the grove is closed for a day while it is sprayed against pine-wilt disease.
Another way
Some runs of the Gurutto Tsuruga sightseeing loop bus from Tsuruga Station stop at Matsubara Kaigan, beside the beach. A taxi from the station takes about 10 minutes.
After you get off
The Kehi no Matsubara stop is on the grove's southern edge. Step off and walk north under the pines; the beach lies on the far side of the grove.