Ine Bay, Kyoto
Ine Boathouses Snow on my gloves as I looked out over the boathouses
As I looked out over the boathouses around the bay, snow began falling on my gloves. The distant view and those tiny flakes on my palm—I wanted to watch both.
Take in winter views over Ine Bay from the hilltop. Read about the day I caught snow beside my car, then turned my eyes back to the boathouses.
WinterJanuary
I looked back at the bay after catching snow on my gloves
I parked my red car in the car park at Funaya no Sato Park and stepped outside. From the hilltop, the boathouses lined the shore of the bay. I followed the rooftops with my eyes, then looked out to the water. The view was wider than I’d expected, and I stood there for a while even after closing the car door.
A few tiny flakes landed on my coat sleeve, and my attention finally came back to what was nearby. I turned my gloved palm upward. Then a few flakes landed there, too. I’d come to see the boathouses, but here I was, wondering if I could catch the snow. I knew I was getting distracted, but I still wanted to hold my hand out a little longer.
The moment a snowflake landed on my glove, I laughed without thinking. I could already feel the cold outside, but catching a flake in my palm suddenly made the whole winter scene feel real. I wanted to keep looking a little longer, so I leaned in. I don’t think I’ve looked this seriously at a tiny snowflake in a long time.
But then I realized that if I kept staring at my hand, I wasn’t looking at the boathouses. When I hurriedly lifted my head, the view carried on all the way across the bay, and I caught my breath all over again. I looked at the distant boathouses, then my palm, then back at the bay. I kept giving myself new things to look at, so it took me a while to get back to the car.
My red car was waiting quietly just a few steps away. Driving here and catching snow here put me in completely different moods. I’d thought I wanted to keep going, but now I wanted to take in the bay a little longer. I lowered my hand and slowly let my gaze travel from the boathouse-lined shore to the water beyond it.
When I got back to the car and looked at my gloves, the snow was gone. But I still remember laughing when I caught it. Even the order in which I looked at my palm and then the bay had become part of the memory. As I took hold of the steering wheel again, I already had more to talk about when I got home—both about the boathouses and the snow.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Winter specialties
Ine winter yellowtail
One winter treat to look forward to in Ine is yellowtail raised in Ine Bay. After taking in the boathouse scenery, I can imagine wanting to make room for a taste of the sea, too. I was out there playing in the snow, but the moment I thought about my next meal, my stomach started rumbling.
Highlights
Boathouses lining Ine Bay
Around 230 boathouses line Ine Bay. The sight of homes right beside the sea gives the town its distinctive look. From the hilltop, I couldn’t stop looking at how closely the houses and water sit side by side. It made me wonder what everyday life is like in a town like this.
Ine Bay from Funaya no Sato Park
Roadside Station Funaya no Sato Park is a hilltop spot with a view over Ine Bay. You can take in both the shoreline lined with boathouses and the water stretching toward the far end of the bay. After catching snow on my gloves, I turned back to the bay and wanted to hold on to the whole view.
Getting there and taking in the views
To Roadside Station Funaya no Sato Park
- Where to go for the view
- About 2 hours by car from Kyoto; about 2½ hours from Osaka
- View from above
- The bay and its boathouse-lined shore
Ine is about 2 hours by car from Kyoto and about 2½ hours from Osaka. To look out over the bay from above, head to Roadside Station Funaya no Sato Park. After catching snow beside my red car, I turned my gaze back to the shoreline lined with boathouses.
Open Funaya no Sato Park on the map below. The Ine Town Tourism Association’s website introduces the boathouses and shows places to take in the view from above.
More Spot Guides
If you enjoyed this story, you might like these places too. I've gone back to each of them in different seasons, again and again.
