After picking up cherry shells at Masuhoura Beach in Ishikawa Prefecture, sit on the World’s Longest Bench and watch the beautiful sunset.

About an hour and a half from Kanazawa toward Noto, Masuhoura Beach is located in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, which is called Nishi-Noto on the Noto Peninsula. It is also known as a scenic spot called Noto Kongo, created by the rough waves of the Sea of Japan, a beach with beautiful sunsets, and a beach with the “World’s Longest Bench.” Along with Yuigahama Beach in Kanagawa Prefecture and Wakaura in Wakayama Prefecture, Masuhoura Beach is also famous for the many small shells that wash up on the beach, and many tourists come to collect pink cherry shells.

Beach where many cherry shells pick up

Every year, from November to March, when the southwestern wind called “Kaiyose no Kaze” blows, many colorful small shells, including pink cherry shells, wash up on the Masuhoura beach. It is said that there are more than 400 species of shellfish. Locally, Sakuragai (cherry shell) is popular as “a shell that brings happiness”, and shell crafts such as drawing pictures and making accessories by combining shells are very popular.

World’s Longest Bench

At Masuhoura Beach, there is a long bench with a total length of 460.9m, which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1989 and is called the “World’s Longest Bench”. Masuhoura Beach is a famous sunset spot, and it was established with the desire of the locals to see the beautiful sunset.

In 2003, a 550-meter wooden bench was built to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the city of Kanuma City in Tochigi Prefecture, so the long bench at Masuhoura Beach has fallen from its position as the world’s best. The longest bench in the world, currently recognized by Guinness World Records, is a 1,013m bench built in Switzerland in 2012.

A person in charge of tourism in Shika Town said that among the longest benches in existence, the length of the benches along Masuhoura Beach is around 5th in the world. It seems that there are no plans to change the name, because it is widely popular even now that it is no longer the world’s longest bench.

Tokimeki Sakurakairou

Tokimeki Sakurakairou is an illumination event where pink and blue LED lights are lined up along the “world’s longest bench” to color the coast. It is held from the beginning of August to the end of November every year. The pink is inspired by cherry shells washed up on Masuhoura Beach, and the blue is inspired by the coast of Shika Town.

Access to the World’s Longest Bench

From Tokyo

It takes about 3 hours from JR Tokyo Station to JR Kanazawa Station by Hokuriku Shinkansen.

From Osaka

It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from JR Osaka Station to JR Tsuruga Station by limited express train. Transfer to the Hokuriku Shinkansen at JR Tsuruga Station and it takes about 40 minutes to JR Kanazawa Station.

At JR Kanazawa Station, transfer to the IR Ishikawa Railway Line (bound for Nanao), which directly connects with JR Tsubata Station and takes about 1 hour to JR Nanao Line Hakui Station. Get off at JR Hakui Station, and from Hakui-ekimae bus stop to Togi bus stop, it takes about 1 hour. Get off at Togi bus stop and walk for about 10 minutes to the world’s longest bench.