Ine is a fishing village in Kyoto where there are around 200 Funaya, which is a boat house built on the edge of the sea. Ine is often called the Venice of Japan.
There are more than 10 restaurants offering the fresh seafood, if you are a fish lover and like Japanese traditional houses, then Ine is one of must go villages!
Ine no Funaya
“Funaya” literally means “boat house”, and the most of the boat houses have 2 stories. The first floor is for a boat and the second floor is for a resident.
Even though Funaya is close to the sea, it is not that affected by the tides because there is a small island called Aoshima in front of Ine bay so that Aoshima becomes a breakwater for Funaya.
Ine no Funaya has been registered as Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings since 2005.
Day trip
There are many activities to do in Ine such as Sashimi experience, Funaya Kimono walking experience, sea taxis, cycling tour and sightseeing boats around Ine bay.
I personally recommend the sightseeing boats since you can view Funaya from the sea! The boat ride takes around 20 mins. The boat operates every 30 mins from 9am – 4pm everyday. It costs JPY 800 for adults and JPY 400 for kids.
Feeding seagulls from the deck of the boat is also fun to do. You can buy the food at JPY 100.
Accommodation
Several Funaya offer a place to stay, you could stay in Funaya!
The reservations can be made on Ine Tourist official website.
How to get to Ine from Kyoto station
There is no train stations around Ine, so you need to take a bus from Amanohashidate station or Miyazu station. There is a direct train from Kyoto station to Amanohashidate station.
The bus ride takes around 1 hour and costs JPY 400, and the train ride takes around 2 hours and costs JPY 4400.
Locals usually drive there, so renting a car is not a bad idea as you can drive enjoying the ocean view.
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