If you want to see a beautiful starry sky in Kansai. Six recommended spots with spectacular views
Driving under the stars or staying in a cottage under the stars… For those who want to spend such a luxurious time, here are some recommended spots in Kansai with spectacular views of the starry sky. We have picked up a wide range of spots, from popular spots to lesser-known ones. Please take a look at them as a reference for your date or family trip.
The first half of the article introduces spots where you can stay overnight, and the second half introduces spots recommended for driving and dates.
3 recommended cottages and hotels where you can stay under the stars.
If you are going to enjoy the stars, you will want to spend some time in a place where you can stay overnight.For those who want to spend time without worrying about the time it takes to change, talking and BBQing while looking at the starry sky… we introduce cottages and hotels where you can enjoy the starry sky.
Accommodation with an observatory｜Oto Cosmic Park Hoshikuni (Gojo City, Nara Prefecture)
The first one is the Daito Cosmic Park ‘Star Country’ in Gojo, Nara Prefecture. This facility, located on a plateau, has lodges and bungalows where visitors can stay overnight! Among them, the bungalows with domes are equipped with a domed observation room on the roof, so you can observe the stars in a private space. The lodge is equipped with a barbecue house, so you can enjoy a BBQ with friends and family.
The attraction of this facility is the observatory with a large telescope! You can admire the planets and the moon, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. You can also study the constellations. Why not think about the galaxy far, far away with your family and friends?
Recommended use.
With family/friends
Access.
〒637-0417 249 Sakamoto, Daito-cho, Gojo, Nara
Official website
https://www.city.gojo.lg.jp/soshiki/kankoshinko/2_2/1/3454.html
Kumano Kodo hiking and starry sky retreat｜SEN.RETREAT TAKAHARA (Tanabe, Wakayama)
Next up is SEN.RETREAT TAKAHARA, located along Kumano Kodo in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, a one-house guesthouse that just opened in 2019. With a population of 70 people and located in a village at an altitude of 300 m, it is the perfect environment for stargazing, and as it is a one-house rental, it is a completely private space, and moreover, it has a private sauna, BBQ facilities and fire facilities!
After enjoying the sauna, water bath and BBQ, you can sit around the fire, chat and gaze at the stars… it’s the perfect place for a ‘retreat’! It is also a great place to stay without worrying about additional charges.
The inn is also located on the World Heritage-listed Kumano Kodo Trail. Please enjoy the Kumano Kodo together with the starry sky by hiking and visiting the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine, one of the three mountains of Kumano.
Recommended use.
With family/friends
Access.
〒646-1416
1966 Takahara, Nakaheji-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Official website.
Glamping with the best starry sky｜Nature Live Rokko (Kobe, Hyogo)
Surrounded by 360° of nature! Nature Live Rokko in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, offers the best glamping experience in such an environment with the support of glamping attendants.
There are cottages for six and four people, so why not spend a special time with family or friends?
The attraction here is the glamping cuisine, which uses seasonal local ingredients such as Kobe beef and Rokko champignons. Attendants are on hand to help even glamping and camping beginners! In the morning, coffee starts with a grinder, bread and fruit, and an omelette… Where you gazed at the stars at night, now you can breathe in the fresh morning air.
Recommended use.
With family/friends
Access.
〒657-0101 1034-140, Minami-Rokko, Rokkosan-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo
Official website
For driving. Dating. Three spots with beautiful starry skies
Next, we introduce you to some of the best spots for dating and driving! You’re sure to have a great time here! For those visiting by car, parking information is also included.
Full of stars from the observatory at the edge of the Kii Peninsula｜Kashinozaki Lighthouse (Kushimoto-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture)
The first spot we will introduce is Kashinozaki Lighthouse, located at the eastern end of Oshima Island in Wakayama Prefecture. This is a spectacular spot where you can see the stars in the sky, the lighthouse and the statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first president of the Republic of Turkey, all at once. The Kashinozaki Lighthouse was the first lighthouse designed in Japan by Richard Henry Brunton, a British native and the ‘father of lighthouses’. The statue was also a gift from Turkey as a token of goodwill.
Many visitors come here to take photographs of the starry sky, which seems to rise from the horizon. Although the lighthouse shines round and round, you can still see the stars with the naked eye.
Furthermore, there is a parking lot and toilets, making it the perfect place to stop for a road trip date.
Recommended use.
On a date/for filming
Access.
1006-1, Kashinosaki, Kushimoto-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama
opening hours.
Anytime/any day of the week
Official website
https://kankou-kushimoto.jp/spots/%E6%A8%AB%E9%87%8E%E5%9F%BC%E7%81%AF%E5%8F%B0
BBQ by day, stargazing by night｜Forest Park Jinnoyama (Yamazoe-mura, Yamabe-gun, Nara)
Jinno-yama has attracted attention in recent years as a spot for observing cloud seas and starry skies. Forest Park Jinnoyama is a facility located on Mt Jinnoyama. The facilities include a sheep farm, barbecue area, café-restaurant, direct sales shop and forest science museum, so you can enjoy yourself from day to night.
Every year, on the first Saturday of August, the ‘Starry Sky Festival’ is held, where you can watch a starry sky film/stargazing at the Forest Science Museum.When the festival was held in 2023, there were live performances, woodworking classes, science classes and kitchen car stalls, making it a perfect event to create summer holiday memories. It is perfect for families with primary school-aged children!
The second parking lot near the Forest Science Museum is open 24 hours a day, so please use this lot if you are going stargazing. As the area is rich in nature, we recommend wearing long sleeves and long trousers even in summer.
Recommended use occasions
Families / Couples
Access.
〒630-2225 888-1, Fushikawase, Yamazoe-mura, Yamabe-gun, Nara, Japan
opening hours.
Meeme Farm is open 9:30-16:30 (24 hours in the second car park).
Official website
https://yamazoekanko.jp/forestpark/
Collaboration of sea and starry sky｜Tango Sea and Sea Viewing Hill Park (Miyazu, Kyoto)
Tango Umi to Umi no Mieru Oka Koen (Tango Sea and Sea Viewing Hill Park) in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a popular place to see the sea and stars together. The park has been selected as one of the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Bays Club’ and offers a panoramic view of Miyazu Bay, where you can enjoy the stars in the sky.
The facility is divided into several zones, and in the ‘Earth Observatory Zone’ there are various stargazing spots. Depending on the location, you can view Amanohashidate, one of the three most scenic spots in Japan, or Miyazu Bay from the octagonal wooden observation house built on a small hill called Kirakira House. You can enjoy a variety of views.
Other facilities in the park include the Umihoshi Restaurant, where you can eat homemade food prepared by local mothers; the Mori no Mori Café, which is open only on Sundays; the Children’s Forest Centre, which offers various experience programmes; the Umihoshi Bath, where you can take a bath while looking down on the Sea of Japan, the Kurita Peninsula and the Kurosaki Lighthouse; and camp sites named after constellations. Free parking for 200 vehicles is available.
Recommended use occasions
With family / With couples / With friends
Access.
Satohami, Miyazu, Kyoto 626-0211
Opening hours.
9:00-17:00.
Open until 20:00 and on Thursdays from July to September.
Closed.
Thursdays, except New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (28 December – 4 January)
Year-end and New Year (28 Dec – 4 Jan)
Winter closure from Jan to end of Feb.
Official website
http://www.eco-future-park.jp/
まとめ〜関西で美しい星空を見たいなら〜
We have introduced six spots in Kansai where you can observe the starry sky beautifully. Whether you are in need of a place to go on a road trip, want your child to learn about the constellations, or are looking for a spot where you can see the starry sky that no one else knows about, we hope this will be useful to you.
You can find information on spots where you can see the sea of clouds in the Kansai region in this article. If you are wondering how to spend your holiday, please take a look at this article.
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