Oct–NovAbout 1.5 km of pale sand backed by roughly 17,000 pines, a national Place of Scenic Beauty on Tsuruga Bay. A beach in summer, a quiet walk the rest of the year, and 12 minutes by bus from the Shinkansen station.
Kehi no Matsubara (氣比の松原) is a 1.5 km pine grove and white-sand beach on Tsuruga Bay, one of Japan's three great pine groves and a national Place of Scenic Beauty since 1934. Walking the grove is free. Swimming runs mid-July to mid-August. From Tsuruga Station the community bus takes about 12 minutes plus a 5 minute walk. Give it 1–2 hours, more on a beach day.
The grove is about 1.5 km long and covers roughly 34 hectares, with about 17,000 trees, mostly red pine averaging around 200 years old. Red pines make up about 85 percent, unusual on a coast where black pine normally dominates. Together with Niji-no-Matsubara in Karatsu and Miho-no-Matsubara in Shizuoka it is counted among Japan's three great pine groves.
The land was once part of Kehi Shrine's grounds (see Kehi Jingū) until it was taken over in 1570. Local legend says the pines appeared overnight when invaders approached, and white herons perched on them and frightened the fleet away, which is why it is also called Ichiya no Matsubara, the pine grove of one night.
It is not a between-trains stop in the usual sense: the bus runs a few times a day and the grove is about 2.5 km from the station in a straight line. Use it on a half day, or on a beach day in July and August. For a short gap see Tsuruga and changing trains.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Admission | Free to walk the grove and beach all year. |
| Swimming | Mid-July to mid-August. In 2026 listings gave about 18 July–16 August (one site 12 July–17 August). Lifeguards 8:30–17:00. 2027 dates are not announced. |
| Facilities | Listings show one beach hut, six toilet blocks, three lifeguard posts and play equipment offshore for children. |
| Parking | About 700 spaces, ¥1,000 on weekdays and ¥2,000 at weekends and holidays (listed for the swimming season). |
| Getting there | Community bus Matsubara line from Tsuruga Station, about 12 min, stop Kehi no Matsubara, 5 min walk. Gurutto sightseeing bus to Matsubara Kaigan, about 15 min, 2 min walk (some trips only). Taxi about 10 min. |
| Designation | National Place of Scenic Beauty (1934), part of Wakasa Bay Quasi-National Park. |
| Closures | The grove is sometimes closed for pine-wilt spraying. Check before a special trip. |
Flat walking on sand and needle-covered paths, with the sea on one side the whole way.
Paths run through the trees behind the beach, shaded and soft underfoot. The grove has monuments for visits by the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa emperors and haiku stones for Takahama Kyoshi and Ishizuka Tomoji. Most visitors walk the full length one way and take the bus back.
The sand is pale and fine, and play equipment is moored offshore for children, so it suits families. The season is short, about four weeks, and weekends are the busy days. Lifeguards sit at three posts from 8:30 to 17:00. Outside the season you can still walk the sand, but do not swim.
Seen from Mount Tezutsu above the port, the grove and its pale arc of beach sit beside the harbour on Tsuruga Bay. The view shows how a small port town and a great pine coast share one bay.
The bus is the only easy public route, and it runs a few times a day.
From the stops by Tsuruga Station (4 and 5), ride to Kehi no Matsubara and walk 5 minutes. The fare is ¥200 and Suica or ICOCA work; the one-day pass is ¥500. Check the timetable and the last bus back on the city's bus page before you go.
The Sightseeing Route calls at Matsubara Kaigan, a 2 minute walk from the sand, but only on some trips. The first bus leaves the station at 10:00 and the last at 16:40.
A taxi takes about 10 minutes. By car it is 5 km, about 15 minutes, from Tsuruga IC on Route 476. In the swimming season parking costs ¥1,000 on weekdays and ¥2,000 at weekends.
Short season, few buses and an exposed shore.
There is no hotel on the sand; sleep in town and ride out.
A natural hot spring bath after a beach day, and a breakfast with Tsuruga's sauce katsudon. Guests with tattoos are not admitted to the baths.
Opened in 2022 beside the Shinkansen terminus, so a morning beach trip and an afternoon train fit together. Some rooms look onto the Shinkansen.
166 rooms rated 8.3 on Agoda from about 580 reviews, a few minutes from the station and the community bus stops.
Check rates ↗Walking the grove and the beach is free. In the summer swimming season the car park charges ¥1,000 on weekdays and ¥2,000 at weekends and holidays.
Mid-July to mid-August. In 2026 listings gave about 18 July to 16 August, with lifeguards 8:30–17:00. 2027 dates are not announced yet.
Take the community bus (Matsubara line) from the stops by the station to Kehi no Matsubara, about 12 minutes, then walk 5 minutes. The Gurutto sightseeing bus stops at Matsubara Kaigan on some trips. A taxi takes about 10 minutes.
It is one of Japan's three great pine groves, with Niji-no-Matsubara and Miho-no-Matsubara, and a national Place of Scenic Beauty since 1934. About 17,000 trees, mostly red pine, line a 1.5 km white-sand beach.
Only with at least three hours, because the bus is infrequent and the round trip takes about 40 minutes of riding. With a shorter gap, Kehi Jingū is the easier stop.
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