The northern half of Ehime faces the Seto Inland Sea, a beautiful body of water dotted with islands. The eastern half borders the sea known as Uwakai, which merges with the Pacific Ocean. While the coastline of Ehime is generally rocky, there are many bays and inlets where a rough sand of ground seashells accumulates. These beaches can be found within the boundaries of all the coastal cities, many of them within easy walking distance of railway stations. Needless to say, they’re very popular with citizens on weekends during the hot months, and so weekends are a good opportunity to meet local people when they’re letting their hair down. But on weekdays, travelers can pretty much enjoy these beaches to themselves.
Most people start going to the beach from the end of July, which generally coincides with the end of the rainy season. At this time, the heavy rainfall of the monsoon carries soil and plant matter down from the mountains, strewing the beaches with twigs and making the water of the Inland Sea generally cloudy. Once the rainy season ends, conditions improve quickly.
Asanami Beach in the old hamlet of Asanami is little more than a crescent of sand facing the sea. The name means “shallow sea”, and indeed, the beach slopes very gently into the ocean, and you can see the bottom for a good distance through the clear, clean water. There’s a rough car park where you can park for free, and a pretty port with traditional fishing boats lined up. Some distance off the beach is a little lighthouse on a rock, with cargo ships and ferries passing in a constant stream beyond it. There are no facilities to speak of, and no shade, but if you value solitude and have a tent of some sort, then you’ll find Asanami Beach attractive.
When you get hungry, Ivy House is the nearest place to eat, and the Fuwari Road Station is a little further beyond that to the south. Otherwise, preparing a picnic in advance is probably your best bet.
When I last visited Asanami Beach, I clambered up the concrete entrance to the port where I found various pieces of a large rhinoceros beetle that had probably fallen victim to a seabird. Asanami Beach is that sort of a place.
Name in Japanese
浅海海水浴所 asanami kaisuiyokujo Asanami Beach
