Ishikawa · Noto coastNo.470★★★Open in map →

Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

— A public road laid on wet sand

natureThe classic — done right

A stretch of Sea of Japan beach at the base of the Noto peninsula that doubles as a road. Soaked by the tide, the sand packs hard enough to carry ordinary cars, buses and motorbikes along the water's edge.

FromKanazawa Station
~50 min by carJR + taxi, or by car
Get off atHakui Station (JR Nanao Line)
From there
Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

Directions ↗

Where it is

16 more notes in Ishikawa · open the map →

What to look for — in walking order

Summer speed signsSONIC BLOOMING / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Imahama entrancethe southern way in from the Noto Satoyama Kaido, where vehicles drop onto the sand
The waterline lanethe firm wet band that carries the traffic, a few metres from the breaking waves
The dry white sandthe loose band higher up the beach that sinks a wheel — the line not to cross
Summer speed signsroad signs planted in the sand for the bathing season, with the lanes roped off
Noto Chirihama Rest Housethe northern terminus, with a sea-facing deck, a grill counter, a shop and rental bicycles

How to actually get there

Before travelling, check the prefecture's Chirihama road information for whether the strip is open.
Kanazawa → Hakui (JR Nanao Line; limited express Noto Kagaribi or a local train).
Hakui Station → Chirihama (taxi, or a walk of about 25 minutes to the northwest).
Go out onto the firm wet band and follow it, keeping off the dry white sand higher up the beach.

JR Nanao Line to Hakui, then a taxi: Kanazawa → Hakui on the JR Nanao Line, 41.2 rail kilometres. Every limited express Noto Kagaribi calls at Hakui, but as of March 2026 there are only five return workings a day, so local trains fill the gaps. From Hakui Station the beach is about two kilometres to the northwest: a short taxi ride, or roughly a 25 to 30 minute walk.
Back from Hakui Station: Return to Hakui Station for trains towards Kanazawa. Services thin out in the evening and the limited expresses are few, so if you plan to stay for the sunset, check the last departure before you settle in.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The driveway runs about eight kilometres along Chirihama beach, between Imahama and Chirihama on the Noto Satoyama Kaido. It is the only place in Japan where ordinary vehicles are allowed out onto the wet sand at the water's edge. The grains here are very fine and remarkably even in size, so once the tide soaks them they lock together into a surface firm enough to carry cars, buses and motorbikes. The dry white sand higher up the beach does the opposite and swallows a wheel. Ishikawa Prefecture manages the strip and shuts it when waves reach the driving lane. At the northern end the sand road finishes in front of a rest house facing the sea.

How to enjoy it

Check the prefecture's Chirihama road information before you set out — the strip is opened and closed by wave height rather than by a timetable, and it can be shut on a clear day. Drive slowly along the wet band and stay off the dry white sand. Many people aim for late afternoon, because from the rest house deck the sun goes down straight out to sea.

Background & history

The sand that makes this road comes from the Hakusan mountains. Rivers push it out to sea and the current carries it north along the base of the Noto peninsula, sorting it on the way into grains of almost a single size — far finer than ordinary beach sand, which is coarser and never sets. That is why no neighbouring stretch of coast behaves the same way. Ishikawa Prefecture treats the result as a road rather than as a beach with cars on it: through the bathing season the lanes are roped off, speed signs are planted in the sand, and ordinary road traffic law applies.

Before you go

Cash: The driveway is free — no toll, no gate, no ticket. The rest house at the northern end has a car park, a grill counter, a shop and rental bicycles. Carry some cash, and reckon on a taxi as the simplest last leg from the station if you are not driving.
Good to know: Ishikawa Prefecture stops traffic when waves reach the driving lane, and the strip can close in rough weather at any time of year — check the prefecture's Chirihama road information page, or the electronic sign at the entrance, before driving on. Stopping at the water's edge and driving onto the dry white sand are both prohibited.
Another way: By car from Kanazawa the run is about fifty minutes. Leave the Noto Satoyama Kaido at Imahama for the southern entrance, or at Chirihama for the rest house end. On days when only part of the strip is open, the Yanagise entrance — about 1.6 kilometres north of Imahama on Route 249 — is the usual way in.
After you get off: From Hakui Station the coast lies straight out to the northwest across flat ground. Taxis wait at the station and the ride is short; on foot, aim for the rest house at the northern end of the sand road.