Currently, there’s a photo contest underway on Shodoshima island. Click here for information on how to enter:

参加方法はこちら (Japanese)

There are 24 spots on the island that have been designated as places to be photographed. In this article, I will introduce one: Angel Road, a place known as the ‘sacred ground for lovers’.

Angel Road – The Passageway for the Angel of Love

Located right by the harbor of Tonosho, Angel Road is both a holy place for lovers and one of the most popular tourist spots on Shodoshima. For a few hours twice a day a sand bar appears during low tide. If a couple walks across it while holding hands, it is said that their love will be forever unbroken… but I digress, the best time of day to photograph Angel Road is either three hours before low tide, or three hours after. It shows its best side when the sand bar is just barely visible as a thin streak in the water. In mid low tide it gets too wide, so it’s important to time it right. As the ideal timing may differ depending on the day, be sure to check this site for low tide information:

http://www.shodoshima-kh.jp/angel/

There’s a small hill at the end of Angel Road.

On top of it is the Bell of Happiness: a symbol of the lovers’ holy ground. The view of Angel Road from this angle is also beautiful.

If you’re aiming to win the photo contest, this is the recommended spot to photograph it from.

The Magical Night View of Angel Road

Angel Road is illuminated from 20:00 to 22:00. The night scene is almost too magical.

And romantic. Couples who do not manage to seal their love here might as well give up. Hehe.

Angel Road has many faces depending on the day and time, and in July 2016 an open-terrace cafe opened here.

Watching Angel Road From Angel Cafe

Open from 13:00 to 15:00 only on days when the low tide coincides with these times, Angel Cafe has a particularly excellent view over Angel Road.

Sitting on an ocean-view sofa with a nice cup of tea while gazing out at the slowly changing Angel Road… This must surely be heaven-on-earth for any girl. Taking back what I said a bit earlier, any guy that fails to swoon the girl at night should try giving the cafe a shot. It might work out!

That about wraps up Angel Road. If you come here to capture the magic of the spot, sit down and bide your time at Angel Cafe and wait for the best timing to press the shutter. Good luck with your pictures AND your love!

Angel Road
Address: 5 Yoshima, Tonosho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture

Angel Cafe

Address: Ginpauchi, Tonosho, Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture (Inside Shodoshima International Hotel)
Open: 13:00 – 15:00
Closed: Only open at low tide
Tel: 0879-62-2111

http://www.shodoshima-kh.jp/

Photo-contest hashtag: 
#02angelroad

Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Daisuke Chiba