MathieuMD, CC BY-SA 4.0

Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

千里浜なぎさドライブウェイ

Ishikawa · Chubu

An ~8km stretch of sandy beach along the Sea of Japan in Hakui City where ordinary passenger cars, buses, and motorcycles can legally drive directly on the wet sand near the waterline — one of only a handful of beaches in the world, and the only one in Japan, where this is possible. Unusually fine sand grains (~0.2-0.25mm) compact into a firm, road-like surface when saturated with seawater.

Crowd level: Hidden gem
Nearest station: Hakui Station (JR Nanao Line)

How to get there

By car (recommended): free Noto Satoyama Kaido expressway, exit Chirihama IC or Imahama IC (1 min to beach), ~40 min from central Kanazawa. By train: ~23 min walk from Hakui Station to the north entrance.

Continue exploring

Zenkoji Temple

Nagano

Jogasaki Coast

Shizuoka

Tojinbo Sea Cliffs

Fukui