2026 Matoba Beach (的場海水浴場) Full-Day Course

A one-day course to enjoy Takehara City (竹原市), a town on the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海), starring Matoba Beach (的場海水浴場), open from Saturday 18 July to Thursday 20 August 2026, from 9:00 to 17:00. In the morning, first stop at Michi-no-Eki Takehara (道の駅たけはら) to browse local seafood and specialities and complete your beach kit. Next comes the Takehara Historic Townscape Preservation District (竹原市町並み保存地区), where white plaster walls and latticed windows survive to this day. Flourishing on salt production in the Edo period, the area is also called the Little Kyoto of Aki (安芸の小京都) and is designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区). After an unhurried walk through the old lanes, have lunch nearby and then it is on to the sea for the afternoon. Matoba Beach is known as a family-friendly beach with gentle waves, and admission is free (only the shower rooms are paid). Changing rooms and parking for 50 cars are in place, so families with small children can focus on enjoying the water. Splash at the water's edge, hunt for shells on the sand, and soak up summer to the full until closing at 17:00. This generous course lets you taste both a historical walk in Takehara and the calm Seto Inland Sea in a single day. Pack a swimsuit and a towel and head for Takehara in summer.