I had always dreamed of visiting Kyoto by the Sea, and this time I finally had the chance to visit Ine, known as “Japan’s most beautiful fishing village.” As the bus wound its way along the road, I could see hundreds of traditional funaya boathouses stretching along the bay. It wasn’t until I entered the guesthouse that I discovered the ingenuity of the funaya, with boats docked on the first floor and living quarters on the second, fully preserving the wisdom of the fishermen who once lived in harmony with the sea.
To truly experience the soul of Ine, I highly recommend staying overnight. I especially recommend “Funaya Ichi,” which hosts only one group of guests per day. The privacy of having the entire detached house to yourself lets you enjoy the gentle beauty of the whole bay. After the day-trippers left in the afternoon, the entire fishing village became quiet again. The sea breeze was slightly chilly in early spring, so before setting out, we bought local Tango produce and ingredients at a supermarket near Kasamatsu Park and cooked a steaming hot pot at the guesthouse. Besides warming us up, it gave us a deeper sense of what daily life was like for the fishermen who once lived by the sea.
If you enjoy exploring at a leisurely pace, the next day you can borrow a bicycle from the tourist information center and take a relaxing ride. Along the way, stop by Mukai Shuzo, a brewery with more than 200 years of history, and pick up a bottle of its signature fruity, rosé-like sake, “Ine Mankai,” as a beautiful keepsake from your trip through Kyoto by the Sea. I’ll remember the beautiful view of that bay for the rest of my life.
