Check Out Akuyu Sanshiro, the Hotel With a View of a Land Bridge That Only Appears at Low Tide!

An island floating unsuspectingly in the sea

Akuyu Sanshiro in Dogashima is one of the only lodges in the world from which guests can observe the appearance of a land bridge from the ocean. Throw open the window of your room to get a picturesque view of the sprawling Tagosehama Seashore.

The island shown in the left of the photo above is Denbei Island, one of the Sanshirojima Islands. Further to the left and not pictured are Nakano Island, Okinose Island, and Takajima Island. Depending on the angle you’re viewing from, the islands can appear as either three or four islands. In Japanese, Sanshirojima literally means “Three-Four Island”. The land bridge appears at low tide between the shore seen on the right side of the picture and the island on the left, allowing people to walk across.

Feel the excitement build inside you as you watch this natural phenomenon unfold before your eyes, right from your hotel room window.

The path that rises from the sea floor

There it is! There’s a path rising from where the ocean was.

This tonboro land bridge spans 200 meters. At its widest it will reach 30 meters across. As time passes, experience the many different views from your room at Akuyu Sanshiro Hotel.

You’ll surely be moved by this mysterious spectacle, woven by nature itself.

Do you dare to cross?

Once the path has fully emerged from the ocean, of course you’ll want to try to cross it.

To reach it, walk about 5 minutes along route 136 towards Dogashima Onsen Hotel, and there will be a road on your left leading to Tagosehama Seashore and the tonboro land bridge.

Seen from afar the bridge appears easy to cross, but a closer look reveals that it’s covered in rocks, many of which have dangerously slippery moss left over from the rise and fall of the tide. It’s recommended that you wear sneakers or other shoes that are easy to walk in.

Once the water recedes by 30cm at low tide, you can cross without even getting your feet wet. Get the feeling of adventure!

The pools leftover from the receding tide are full of minnows, shellfish, and other sea life, making this a great opportunity to bring children out to experience nature and the ocean.

Warm up in the onsen afterwards

Why not warm up with an onsen bath after checking out the tonboro?

My personal recommendation is a reservation-only style rotenburo, or outdoor bath, called Dangai-buro. The interior of the bath has a dome shape and has the feeling of a cave. This allows steam to build up inside, turning it into a natural sauna that’s great for heating up your body right to its core. There’s really nothing better to do on vacation than relieve yourself of day-to-day stress in an onsen!

There is a charge for using the bath, and you need to reserve in advance, but the privacy of having your own reserved onsen is great. You can have the gorgeous scenery of Sanshirojima all to yourself.

Onsen Information:

Water Composition: Calcium, Sodium, Sulfates (Hypotonic Alkali, Hot Water Onsen)

Water Temperature from Source: 56.9℃ Reservation Only

So what does “Akuyu” mean, anyway?

Akuyu rests prominently on a cliffside, pictured above.

The name “Akuyu” is the French word “accueil” written in phonetic Japanese. Accueil roughly translates to the Japanese word omotenashi, which you might recognize as the word describing Japan’s renowned concept of hospitality. Akuyu stands true to its name; the hotel features very few stairs, making it easy to walk about or access by wheelchair. Available by reservation, meals are prepared for guests with specific health concerns, such as reduced sodium intake.

All rooms have an ocean view, and the scenery visible from the hotel seems as though it was created to please its guests. For those wishing to see the tonboro land bridge, this is really the best spot you can find.