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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. Ishikawa Prefecture closes this beach driveway to vehicles whenever waves or sand conditions make it unsafe — closures have exceeded 100 days a year recently and often affect only the northern half — so check the live camera or road information line the same day you plan to drive it.
- Crowd level
- Hidden gem
- Opening hours
- Daily Open 24 hours
- Admission
- Free — not a toll road; no source mentions any entrance or parking fee for the driveway itself.
- Nearest station
- Hakui Station (JR Nanao Line)
Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.
Today
Open 24 hoursFreeStored weekly hours
Daily Open 24 hours
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.
Tags
beachoff-the-beaten-pathdriving
Location
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