Himi & Amaharashi氷見・雨晴

The classic shot is Onnaiwa + Tateyama + crashing waves. Best at sunrise (Tateyama in golden light), sunset (Onnaiwa silhouetted), and on clear winter mornings December–February when snow coverage peaks.

The coastal path runs a few kilometres in either direction with pine trees lining the shore. In summer the beach is shallow and family-friendly. The small Amaharashi Station has a dedicated observation deck, and a live webcam streams the view from the building’s rooftop.

Himi’s main tourist destination, a large seafood market and restaurant complex built in traditional banya (fisherman’s shed) style along the coast just south of town centre.

Browse the fish market (live crab, shiroebi in season, fresh yellowtail), eat kaisendon with Himi-caught fish, try winter buri sashimi or buri shabu-shabu. The observation deck has the same Tateyama-over-Toyama-Bay panorama, and an outdoor footbath uses ocean water.

The certified Himi Kan-Buri mark is given only to buri of a certain size and fat ratio, caught in Himi waters in winter, by traditional fixed-net fishing (teichi-ami). The cold-water migration produces the fattest, densest yellowtail in Japan.

The classic preparations: buri sashimi/buritoro (raw belly), buri shabu-shabu (paper-thin slices in hot broth), buri-don, simmered buri-daikon, grilled yaki-buri kama (collar). Most striking: a full kan-buri kaiseki course at a Himi Onsen ryokan, a multi-hour winter meal entirely based on yellowtail.

For travellers wanting deeper engagement, Himi’s fishermen offer charter experiences where you join the fixed-net haul at sunrise, a 400-year-old technique that minimises stress on the fish, preserving fat and flesh quality.

Also available: organised early-morning fish auction tours, and Sakana-ya Michi workshops where you cut your own fish and prepare yellowtail sashimi. Book well ahead, especially in winter peak season.