“Chichibugahama Beach” in Mitoyo City, Kagawa

Chichibugahama is located in Mitoyo City, on the west side of Kagawa Prefecture.
The area is nature-rich, calm and quiet.

And this beach is a very “hot” place in Kagawa because this is a spot where you can take pictures just like you can at “Salar de Uyuni” in Bolivia, which is called “a mirror of the sky.”
This place is known as a very photogenic beach through SNS, and is really popular among the young generation and cameramen.
So many people come and take photos, even on weekdays.

Ms. Ishii, from the office of Tourism and Exchange of Mitoyo City, taught us how to take a good picture on the beach.
“The best time to get the most beautiful scenery is at low tide. This is especially true when the low tide time comes within 2 hours of the time of sunset. You can take fantastic pictures combining the blue sky and the glow of the sunset when you start taking pictures about1 hour before the sun sets. The time of sunset and low tide are different every day, so we recommend that you check the “Sunset and Tide Calendar” predicting the best time to see the great view on our city webpage before you come to Chichibugahama.”

These are several hints for taking fantastic pictures.
“Use these accessories for giving variety to the poses. One umbrella can be an amazing prop in a picture.”
I see.
The shape of items used when shooting photos should be very easily visible as a silhouette.

Here is the technique which Ms. Ishii taught us.
Go over the tide pool and stand against the sun (the sun should be behind whatever object you are holding).
This means that the object should be between the sun and the camera.
If there are other people who are taking pictures, then do not go into the tide pool, so as to avoid making waves on the water surface.
You should bring your sandals because most people get their feet wet when they are concentrating on taking pictures.
Also, bring a jacket depending on the season and temperature.

Now, let’s start the photoshoots!
If the wind is blowing, find the shallow part of the tide pool or wait for the time of calm in the evening, just before the sunset.
Otherwise, the wind will make waves on the water surface, and the water won’t reflect the sky beautifully.

“Please stand on the edge of the water! Raise your right hand, and say cheese!”
How did our first shot go…?

A smartphone is all you need to take an amazing picture here!

This is the first shot taken by Ms. Ishii.
We cannot believe that this lovely picture was taken by a smartphone!
The blue gradation of the sky is really beautiful…!

I also took some pictures!
If you change some of the color settings, then the tone of the picture may change dramatically.
This is very interesting!

One important suggestion for shooting good pictures at Chichibugahama is to put your camera very close to the ground.
If you do this, the sandy beach won’t show up in the finder, and the water surface becomes just like a huge mirror.
It is very helpful to use a camera with a movable display, as you can easily change its angle.

Our model took this great picture, and we cannot believe that this was her first time.
She also couldn’t believe that her smartphone could take this amazing picture.
And the silhouette of the skirt is also very photogenic.

Chichibugahama was selected as one of the “100 most beautiful sunset-watching spots in Japan.”

The wind stops, and the sun makes the sky red.
Just watching the sunset on this beach is a very luxurious experience, and we can see why Chichibugahama was selected as one of the “100 most beautiful sunset-watching spots in Japan”

The sun goes down, but the sky is still brightly-colored for a little while after the sunset.
We call this time the “magic hour” (also called magic time or golden hour), and you can take fantastic pictures with the beautiful light.
These 2 pictures below were taken during the magic hour.

It looks so dramatic with other people’s silhouettes.

Without the wind, the water surface is just like a mirror.
Blue and red dissolve together, and the time which reveals this beautiful color of the sky is really like magic.

We took pictures together with other people who came to this beach to take photos.
It is said that many people have become friends because they were shooting pictures at the same place on the Chichibugahama Beach.

If there are some clouds in the sky, you can still take this kind of dynamic photo on the beach!
Why don’t you visit Chichibugahama and take in the beautiful scenery with a wonderful sunset?

Chichibugahama Beach
Address／203-3, Otsu, Nio, Nio-cho, Mitoyo-shi, Kagawa
Phone／0875-56-5880 (The office of Tourism and Exchange in Mitoyo-City)
Parking lot／Available（A toll parking lot only for the beach is open in July and August）
http://www.mitoyo-kanko.com/父母ヶ浜
Nearest stations／JR Takuma Station, JR Mino Station on Yosan Line

Photographs and text by Megumi Yamada