Miho-no-Matsubara in Shimizu

A beautiful pine grove and a beach with a view of Fuji

Illaura Rossiter May 31, 2017 - 1 min read

The pine trees continue from the Hagoromo Pine Tree and along "God's Path" until you reach Miho Shrine

A statue of the fisherman who picked up the Celestial Maiden's kimono

Hagoromo tree, where the Celestial Maiden hung her kimono

The Miho Pine Grove sits along the shore

This pine grove has as many as 30,000 flourishing pine trees

Today, we could see Mount Fuji just faintly through the clouds

A monument to the legend of the Fisherman and the Celestial Maiden

Tourists gather to read about the area's history

A signboard about the legend of Hagoromo

An English translation of the legend of Hagoromo

The history of the Miho Pine Grove is written on this board

A sign displaying the scenery view and map

Tourists walk under the pines and toward the ocean

An inscribed monument next to the beach's shrine

The start of the "God's Path" from Miho Shrine to the Hagoromo Pine Tree

On the coast near Shimizu in the suburbs of Shizuoka city, Miho Pine Grove stands on a beautiful, sandy beach, looking out over Suruga Bay towards Mount Fuji. The contrast between the sandy beach, the ocean and Mount Fuji is spectacular.

The beach at Miho Pine Grove is also the setting of a famous story, "The Legend of Hagoromo." One day long ago, a celestial maiden came to this beach and hung her hagoromo, a kimono worn to ascend to the heavens, on a pine tree. While she was swimming, a local fisherman found her hagoromo, and agreed to return it to her only if she would dance for him.

As well as this story, Miho Pine Grove has long been known as a scenic spot, and has attracted artists who wanted to depict Mount Fuji since the 16th century. Due to the works of famous artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige depicting the area in Ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints), the area became famous as a site for viewing Mount Fuji.

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Find out more about Miho no Matsubara.

Illaura Rossiter @illaura.rossiter

A semi-professional photographer and English teacher, Illaura is a long-term resident of Japan who photographs every day life and scenes in Japan to promote a better understanding of Japanese culture.