Chichibugahama Beach
父母ヶ浜
A beach in Mitoyo, Kagawa, where tide pools left at low tide mirror the evening sky, famous for photos that look like Bolivia's Uyuni salt flat.
About 1km of sand on the Seto Inland Sea
Chichibugahama Beach is a stretch of sand about 1km long in Nio, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture. It faces the Hiuchi-nada, part of the Seto Inland Sea, and it has been chosen as one of the "88 Views of Shikoku" for its beautiful sunsets.
In the 2010s it became a talking point on social media as a place where you can take photos like those at Bolivia's Uyuni salt flat, and visitors started coming from across Japan and abroad. With more people have come more cafés and the like near the beach.
When the "mirror of the sky" appears
The famous photos here show the sky and people's silhouettes reflected like a mirror in the shallow pools left on the sand at low tide. You need two conditions: the tide must be out, and there must be no wind. On the Seto Inland Sea there is a calm period in the evening called yunagi, when the wind drops; once the water goes still, the reflections become crisp.
The most popular days are those when low tide coincides with the "magic hour", the roughly 30 minutes around sunset. Mitoyo City's tourism website publishes a calendar of low-tide and sunset times, which is handy for choosing your day.
Getting there
By car it is about 20 minutes from the Sanuki-Toyonaka or Mitoyo-Torisaka interchanges on the expressway. There is a free car park near the beach.
By train, you can take a Mitoyo City community bus from Takuma Station on the JR Yosan Line, but it runs on weekdays only. On some weekend days there are shuttle buses timed for sunset. Check Mitoyo City's tourism website for operating days and times.
Tips
- Before you go, check the low-tide and sunset times on Mitoyo City's tourism website. On windy days the water is ruffled and the reflections will not be clear.
- The beach is kept clean by volunteers. Always take your rubbish home. Barbecues, fireworks and putting up large tents are prohibited.
- Drones are banned at busy times. If you photograph people, respect the image rights of anyone in the shot before posting on social media.
- During long holiday weekends, a car park that must be booked in advance is sometimes provided (this was done for the 2026 Silver Week holidays in September too).
Sources
Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
