Miho no Matsubara

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Miho no Matsubara (三保の松原, Miho Pine Grove^?) is a scenic area located on the Miho Peninsula in the Shimizu-ku area of Shizuoka, Japan. It is renowned as a seashore with beautiful green pine trees and white sands spanning over seven kilometers. Miho no Matsubara has a great scenic view of Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula across Suruga Bay. Due to its beauty, it is designated as one of the three new scenic attractions of Japan along with its three pine groves. Additionally, it has been selected as one of the top 100 white sand beaches and green pine groves of Japan.

Miho no Matsubara is known as the stage of the legend of Hagoromo, which is based on the traditional swan maiden motif. It has an old pine tree dating back 650 years. It is called “Hagoromo no Matsu” and is said to be where the angel floated down in Hagoromo. The Miho shrine nearby preserves a piece of her plumage.

Unfortunately, Miho no Matsubara no longer has white sands. The sands are now uniformly black, perhaps from the volcanic rock that first formed the peninsula. One story is that the Abe River provided the white sand that made Miho such a scenic spot. During construction of the nearby shinkansen line, too much of the Abe River's white sand was used. Over time, the sea swept away the layers of white sand and no new sand was available to replenish the sand carried out to sea. Miho no Matsubara still has beautiful pine trees and a magnificent view of Mount Fuji on clear days, but the shining white sands that caused the angel in the legend to shed her robe and bathe in the sea at Miho can be seen only in the imagination.