Japan is Nippon 日本語
Sandbar of Angel Road stretching across calm sea to a small wooded islet at low tide
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Kagawa · coast

Angel Road

エンジェルロード

A sandbar on Shodoshima that appears only at low tide. Twice a day you can walk across it to a small island offshore.

Visitors walking along the Angel Road sandbar toward a rocky islet
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Angel Road sand path leading to the low green Yoshima islands
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

A sandy path that appears when the tide goes out

Angel Road is a sandy path in the town of Tonosho on Shodoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea. Most of the time it is hidden under the sea, but around the two low tides each day (kanchō, when the tide goes out and the sea is at its lowest) a sandbar appears, linking the shore to a small island offshore. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), it is about 500m long.

The four small islands lined up offshore are Bentenjima, Nakayoshima, Koyoshima and Oyoshima, known together as Yoshima. You can walk only from Bentenjima to Nakayoshima. The islands beyond are private land or facilities closed to the public, so you may not enter them without permission.

Hold hands and your wish comes true?

A local saying goes that if you cross hand in hand with someone special, your wish will come true, which makes it a popular spot for couples. On the island you will see ema (small wooden plaques on which people write their wishes and leave them as an offering) hanging up.

On Bentenjima there is the Hill of Promise lookout, where you can ring the Bell of Happiness while looking down over Angel Road.

Getting there

You reach Shodoshima by ferry. High-speed boats and ferries run from Takamatsu Port, and ferries from Okayama and Himeji also arrive at Tonosho Port.

From Tonosho Port to Angel Road is about 5 minutes by car or about 10 minutes by bus. Take the Nishiura Line bus and get off at the Kokusai Hotel Angel Road stop. If you are driving, there is a paid Car Park No. 1 and a free Car Park No. 2.

Tips

  • Low tide times vary from day to day and with the seasons. Before you go, always check that day's low tide on the Angel Road tide table on the Tonosho Town official website. Weather and sea levels can make the actual times differ from the table.
  • If the tide comes in while you are out on the sandbar, the path goes back under the sea. Once low tide has passed, head back in good time.
  • If you plan your trip so the ferry's arrival matches low tide, you can walk across without waiting.

Sources

Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

An arched bridge over a green pond framed by carefully pruned pines in Ritsurin Garden
Kagawa · garden Ritsurin Garden 栗林公園 A lord's garden built over 100+ years for the Matsudaira of Takamatsu: six ponds and 13 hills below Mount Shiun, with a new view at every step.
Black multi-tiered keep of Okayama Castle rising above green trees
Okayama · castle Okayama Castle 岡山城 Okayama's symbol, nicknamed "Crow Castle" for its black walls. Revamped in 2022, it tells samurai-era stories and gives a view over the city from the top.
Pond in Okayama Korakuen Garden reflecting green hills, with the black keep of Okayama Castle behind
Okayama · garden Okayama Korakuen Garden 岡山後楽園 An Edo-period lord's garden and one of Japan's three great gardens: wide lawns, ponds, Okayama Castle beyond, and even tea fields, rice paddies and cranes.
Panoramic view of the Great Seto Bridge and islands from the Washuzan observation area
Okayama · viewpoint Mount Washu (Washuzan) Second Observation Deck 鷲羽山 第二展望台 A viewpoint taking in both the Seto Ohashi Bridge, linking Honshu and Shikoku, and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Close to the car park and famous for sunsets.
The National Treasure main hall of Kibitsu Shrine with its twin gabled roofs under a blue sky
Okayama · shrine Kibitsu Shrine 吉備津神社 An ancient Okayama shrine whose demon-slaying legend is said to have inspired Momotaro, with a National Treasure main hall and a long covered corridor.
Willow-lined Kurashiki River with a stone bridge, a small boat and historic buildings in the Bikan Quarter
Okayama · old town Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter 倉敷美観地区 A historic quarter of Kurashiki, Okayama, with white-walled storehouses along a willow-lined canal, and Japan's first private museum focused on Western art.