Explore Ube City’s Natural Side

Located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Ube City is a scenic area blessed with rural landscapes and mesmerizing oceanside vistas.

These areas are home to numerous establishments that coexist with the environment, providing you with opportunities to leisurely enjoy nature. Rest in a private accommodation on the beach, enjoy expertly crafted tea with windowside views of the ocean, find peace of mind in a traditional Japanese garden, and witness endless tea fields.

Listed below is a model course that will take you through some of the city’s most beautiful natural landscapes—from sea to land. Let’s go!

Access to and around Ube City

Ube City’s most convenient point of access is Yamaguchi Ube Airport. This airport services multiple domestic flights daily from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The flight time is typically between 90 and 110 minutes. From the airport, Ube’s city center is about a 10-minute drive.

Shin-Yamaguchi Station is also located near Ube City. From Tokyo Station, Shin-Yamaguchi Station is about a four-hour and 20-minute train ride via the Tokaido Shinkansen. From Shin-Yamaguchi Station, you can take the local Ube Line to Ube Shinkawa Station, which is near Ube’s city center. During this ride, you are granted picturesque views of the sea and countryside.

Since Ube’s public transportation can be limited in certain areas, we recommend car travel for this itinerary. There are numerous car rental services available at the airport.

PANARI

Wake up to the melody of the ocean at PANARI, a private accommodation on the beach. “Panari” is a local Okinawa word that refers to a place located away from a noisy area, and the peaceful accommodation certainly lives up to its name. The guest rooms are housed in refurbished storage containers that effortlessly convey PANARI’s down-to-earth vibes.

PANARI has two guest houses—each with two bedrooms and a shared toilet and bathing area. Each guest room comes equipped with one double-sized bunk bed that can sleep up to four adults, making them ideal for large groups. The guest rooms also sport large glass doors that open up to a communal lawn area where you can soak in the sights, sounds, and aromas of the sea. Aside from a place to stay, PANARI also offers SUP experiences, shellfish digging, beach barbequing, and more.

PANARI’s dining and cafe area is situated adjacent to the guest houses and truly embodies relaxed oceanside life with its bohemian decor, chill music, abundant plant life, and massive windows. The building even has an outdoor terrace! Given its ambience and offerings, the facility is guaranteed to lull you into vacation mode.

Kiwa La Beach

Kiwa La Beach is a captivating area that has gained recognition for its picture-perfect scenery. On windless days, two hours before and after low tide, the beach’s shallow tidal pools transform into mirrors that you can walk across. Below you, your mirror-image follows your steps, and it looks like you are walking across the sky. Photo enthusiasts will not want to miss this surreal sight.

The beach is also home to Japan’s largest sandbar at two-kilometers wide and 700 meters long. During low tide, you can walk along the sandbar and admire the sea. Kiwa La Beach is also a popular swimming spot thanks to its calm and shallow waters.

Chaso Ametsuchi

Enjoy an authentic Japanese tea experience at Chaso Ametsuchi! The cafe’s entrance is flanked by a traditional Japanese garden, which instantly sets your mind at ease. Then, after following the stairs to the second floor, you are treated to panoramas of the sea with trees in the foreground. Inside, the cafe itself is exceptionally cozy with warm wooden furnishings, plenty of natural light, and even a small tatami area.

Your host, Kenya Hiranaka—a Certified Japanese Tea Instructor and retired teacher—is very passionate about serving the perfect cup of tea. The cafe offers numerous tea options, including seasonal and local varieties, as well as international teas. Hiranaka speaks English, so feel free to ask for his recommendations! The cafe also serves snacks that pair beautifully with the teas.

After ordering your desired tea, you can watch Hiranaka’s meticulous tea brewing process, which is nothing short of art. The tea itself is extraordinary, and the first sip will elicit an automatic smile. As you gaze out at the sea and further settle into the intimate space, you will feel the healing power of tea.

Ube ramen at Ikkyu

Ube ramen is a cherished local ramen variety in Ube City and is characterized by its rich tonkotsu (pork bone) broth. One of the best places to enjoy Ube ramen is Ikkyu! This ramen chain has eight stores in Yamaguchi Prefecture and 50 years of ramen-making experience. Ikkyu’s standard ramen features thin noodles topped with tender pork, scallions, and bamboo shoots. After ordering, the meal is typically ready in minutes. The thick, savory broth paired with the complementary ingredients makes for a fulfilling meal.

Ikkyu has five restaurants in Ube City. For this itinerary, we suggest visiting the Ikkyuu Nishikiwa Store. Details are listed below. If you are interested in other locations please visit Ikkyu’s official website. All of the stores have different business hours, phone numbers, and closed days.

Sorinji Temple Garden (Ryushintei)

Founded over 1,200 years ago, Sorinji is a Buddhist temple that is best known for its picturesque garden called Ryushintei. Ryushintei is the oldest garden in Yamaguchi Prefecture and translates to “The Dragon Heart Garden” since the crescent-like shape of its central pond resembles the Chinese character for heart (心).

Just gazing at the tranquil scenery seems to slow your breath and mind. Open grass areas, gentle ponds, intentionally placed rocks, and trees coexist in an alluring display of nature. Wooden pathways attached to adjacent temple buildings double as seating areas where you can rest and admire the garden in a quiet atmosphere. The temple recommends that you view the garden from different angles. Doing so reminds you that if you change the position of your mind, you can see the world differently. The setting is especially popular during autumn when the Japanese maple trees turn scarlet. The garden costs 300 yen to enter.

The grounds outside Ryushintei are also beautiful, featuring a harmonious blend of nature, temple buildings, and statues. If you are interested in experiencing zazen (a type of meditation), the temple hosts free sessions from Saturday to Sunday (7am–7:30am) and Tuesday to Friday (6:30am–7am). Sunday is an ideal day for beginners as the zazen session is followed by a tea get together. For English-speakers, the temple provides written instructions about proper zazen forms.

Fujigochi Chaen

Tea lovers will especially love this spot. Fujigochi Chaen is a massive 65-hectare tea plantation that follows the area’s softly rolling hills. Being one of the largest tea plantations in western Japan, Fujigochi Chaen’s harvest accounts for 90% of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s tea production. Nourished by the mist of nearby Lake Ono, Fujigochi Chaen’s tea is known for its deep flavor that strikes the perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness.

From the area’s wooden observation deck, admire seemingly endless fields of green encircled by forested-mountains. On a clear day, the juxtaposition of the blue skies and verdant tea fields seems to elevate the hues of both. It is truly an enchanting visual.

Japanese Cuisine, Yoshicho

After witnessing Ube’s mesmerizing sceneries, enjoy nature’s blessings at Japanese Cuisine, Yoshicho (hereinafter Yoshicho). Located in the International Hotel Ube, Yoshicho is a luxurious restaurant that specializes in kaiseki—traditional Japanese multi-course meals. The restaurant focuses on using seasonal ingredients inside and outside of Yamaguchi Prefecture and crafts dishes that both retain traditional flavors and embody the present.

The restaurant’s interior design combines traditional Japanese aesthetics with sleek modernity. Whether you are in one of the facility’s eight private rooms or its 26-seat dining hall, the ambience, enhanced by the kimono-clad staff, creates an atmospheric dining experience.

The elegant set meals showcase a variety of dishes, including seasonal sashimi, tempura, nigiri sushi, wagyu beef, and fugu (pufferfish) dishes, which are famous in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Since the menu changes seasonally, please visit Yoshicho’s official site for specific menu details. Advanced reservations are required.

Discover Ube City

Ube City is a rejuvenating destination filled with spots that merge relaxation with natural beauty. From its scenic coastline to its human-designed landscapes, the city offers a diverse array of visual delights that are free from the crowds of popular tourist destinations. Even more so, the city’s slower pace of life and welcoming atmosphere will instantly touch your heart.

If you are interested in exploring Ube’s artistic and cultural side, check out this model course.