Crystal Road (Nagase Beach)
SaveNagase Beach on Etajima is 400m of man-made sand with a walkway out into the sea.
At spring high tide a thin film of sea covers the Crystal Road walkway, and walking it feels like walking on water.
MoreWhat kind of place
The beach itself is man-made: 400 meters of sand laid inside Etajima Bay, where a breakwater and a jetty keep the waves small. Crystal Road is the name that walkway goes by, and it drew attention as a "phantom road" after overseas visitors posted it on social media.
With kidsThe part that matters
Crystal Road is that walkway, and at the right tide you walk it with sea over your feet. The tip has a small plaza, so the walk ends standing in the water, not watching from dry ground.
Crabs and sea slaters can turn up along the way, including one crab with outsized pincers. Back on shore the water is shallow and calm, with fine sand and shells worth picking up.
The day has two halves: a path that appears and disappears, and a quiet beach for the hours either side.
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1A breakwater and a jetty keep this corner of the bay flat, so the water is calm enough for a baby's first time in the sea. One to two hours was enough for a family who came with a baby and a toddler.
- Ages 2-3At two or three the shallow edge is the whole outing, and a family with a child that age stayed over three hours.
- Ages 4-6April is razor-clam season, before the 1 May closure, and although the digging takes a knack and some strength, it is fantastic fun at six.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayNot checked yet
- Hot dayNothing on this beach has a roof over it, so shade is something you bring or rent. A roofed platform costs 1,000 yen, though you book it through the Etajima Silver Human Resources Center, which also takes same-day requests.
- Cold dayIn the cold months the road is something to look at rather than stand in, because the seawater in March takes courage even in sandals. A warm season is better, though, if you want a path that is properly under water.
How was it with your kids?
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- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：not checked
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：not checked
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
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* Other not checked (4)
Lost-child support, Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Official family-friendly certification
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
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Where it is
The address is Nakamachi, Nomi-cho, Etajima City, Hiroshima (postal code 737-2301).source
Before you go
- Crystal Road only appears when a spring high tide reaches about 350 cm, so at any other tide it is an ordinary walkway.
- Check a tide table before you leave and time your arrival to high tide, because the tourist association said in September 2026 that from October the high tide comes at night or before dawn.
- Footing on the walkway is wet and slippery, so shoes with grip beat sandals, and the rising tide really does erase the path — leave time in hand for the walk back.
- The beach is open as a swimming beach only from 18 July to 16 August in 2026, 7:00 to 18:00, so outside that window the restrooms and changing rooms may be shut, though one May visitor still found the taps running.
- Razor clams may not be taken from 1 May to 31 July, so digging is a spring plan, and the salt used to lure them is worth packing from home.
- Barbecues, camping and open fires are banned around the shore, and handheld fireworks are the only ones allowed.
- Jellyfish arrive from mid-August, so a rash guard and marine shoes are the usual cover on this shallow beach.
Sources and evidence (23)
- An outdoor place: a man-made sand beach with no roof over any of it.source
- Use of the swimming beach is free (shower 200 yen, coin locker 300 yen, roofed platform 1,000 yen are extra).source
- Opening hours are 7:00 to 18:00.source
- Those hours apply during the open season, July to August; outside it the beach is not run as a swimming beach.source
- In 2026 the swimming season runs from Saturday 18 July to Sunday 16 August.source
- A roofed platform can be rented for 1,000 yen through the Etajima Silver Human Resources Center, and same-day requests are accepted.source
- The address is Nakamachi, Nomi-cho, Etajima City, Hiroshima (postal code 737-2301).source
- Barbecues, camping and personal watercraft are not allowed.source
- Open fires are not allowed anywhere around the shore.source
- Only handheld fireworks are allowed; larger ones such as aerial fireworks are banned.source
- Razor clams may not be taken between 1 May and 31 July.source
- Jellyfish appear from mid-August, so covering skin with a rash guard or marine shoes is advised.source
- The water is shallow, and a rash guard and marine shoes keep skin covered against hazardous creatures.source
- Razor clams are taken by finding the hole, luring the clam out with salt, and pulling it free.source
- At a spring high tide, around 350 cm, the walkway is covered by a thin film of water and photographs look like walking on clear sea.source
- If the conditions do not line up it is an ordinary walkway, and in some seasons it stays dry even at a daytime spring high tide, so check the tide first.source
- The walkway sinks only when a spring high tide reaches roughly 350 cm or more.source
- The Etajima tourist association says that from October the moment falls at night or early morning, which made early September the best season as of that report.source
- Before the season opened, in May, the restrooms and changing rooms were not usable, though the tap water was.source
- To see Crystal Road you have to go at the hour of the high tide.source
- How it looks changes a lot with the tide, so checking a tide table before setting off makes a wasted trip less likely.source
- The footing gets wet and slippery, so shoes with grip felt safer than sandals.source
- When the tide comes in the path really disappears, so leave time in hand for the walk back.source
Basics
- Fee: Use of the swimming beach is free (shower 200 yen, coin locker 300 yen, roofed platform 1,000 yen are extra).source
- Hours: Swimming-beach hours are 7:00 to 18:00, in the summer season only (18 July to 16 August in 2026).source
- Booking: A roofed platform can be rented for 1,000 yen through the Etajima Silver Human Resources Center, and same-day requests are accepted.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (1)
| Nursing space | Not checked yet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor | Web-checked | checked Jul ’25 | city.etajima.hiroshima.jp | |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet |
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