Tahara (田原) is a city in Aichi.
Understand
Aichi's southernmost town, Tahara has absorbed the towns of Akabane and Atsumi to become a single city of about 66,000. The city now claims all of the Atsumi peninsula, separating Mikawa Bay from the Pacific Ocean. It is also home to a Toyota factory reputed to be among the most sophisticated plants in the world. There is a Lexus plant here.
Get in
By ferry
Irago Crystal Port is on Cape Irago at the tip of the peninsula.
- The Ise Bay Ferry runs from Toba, Mie. The ride takes 55 minutes and costs ¥1500 per person. Vehicles can also be transported for ¥4500 and up, depending on the length of your vehicle.
- The Meitetsu Ferry provides a connection from Koba Port, near Nagoya's Centrair Airport for ¥2240.
By train
Tahara can be reached from Toyohashi via the Atsumi line of the Toyohashi Railway (豊橋鉄道渥美線, Toyohashi Tetsudou Atsumi-sen) . It costs ¥510.
- 1 Mikawa Tahara railway station (三河田原駅, Mikawa-Tahara-eki).
Get around
See
- 1 Hii Stone Gates (日出の石門, Hiinosekimon). Beautiful stone arches carved by the sea.
- 2 Irago Misaki Lighthouse (伊良湖岬灯台, Irago-Misaki Toudai).
- 3 Mount Zao Observatory (蔵王産展望台, Zaou-san Tenboudai) (take a bus for ¥100 from Mikatawahara station), ☏ +81 53-122-0426. 09:00-22:00. At an altitude of 250 m, this observatory offer a nice 360-degree panorama of the city and Mikawa Bay. Especially nice at night.
- 4 Tahara Castle Ruins (田原城跡), Tahara-cho Hakou 11-1, ☏ +81 53-122-1720. 09:00-17:00. The castle was built around 1480; the grounds now house a small municipal museum.
Do
- 1 Koijigahama Beach (恋路ヶ浜, Koijigahama). This sandy, arc-shaped beach near the lighthouse at the end of the peninsula is about 1 km long. Its name dubs it the "beach of romance".
- Pacific Long Beach (表浜, Omotehama). Popular beach for fishing and surfing.