Zenigahama
2026 swimming season
July 15 – August 20, 2026
Beach opening dates change every year. Confirm before you travel.
About This Destination
Zenigahama is a rocky stretch of the Echizen Coast at the northern edge of Echizen-cho, and it splits into two separate stops about 500 metres apart. At the southern end, right beside the Kochomon sea arch, is Zenigahama Beach (銭ヶ浜海水浴場) — a free swimming beach of rock and gravel rather than sand, with no toilets, showers or changing rooms. It opens for the 2026 season from July 15 to August 20. Kochomon itself is a natural tunnel roughly 15 metres high and 30 metres wide; National Route 305 ran straight through the arch until a bypass tunnel opened in March 2002, and it is now viewed from the old roadway rather than driven through.
Five hundred metres north, a separate clifftop parking area serves the Zenigahama lookout, where a signboard marks 大黒様の足跡 — "Daikoku's footprints," a set of foot-shaped hollows worn into the rock and tied to the god of fortune. Even Echizen Town's own tourism blog admits the sign is easier to find than the footprints. Stairs lead down from here to a wide shelf of wave-battered rock, and the same shelf holds the Shiofuki-iwa (潮吹岩), a natural blowhole that jets seawater up through a gap between boulders. It only performs when the swell is right — too calm or too rough and nothing happens — so winter is the season to catch it.
Drive between the two stops rather than walking. The only route is Route 305 itself, which has no pavement along this stretch, so walking it means sharing a fast coastal road with traffic. Parking for the beach end is easy: the restaurant Misaki-chaya Hana-no-Yume sits just north of Kochomon and has lots on both sides of the building. On the rocks, wear proper shoes rather than sandals, and it is worth going with someone else — the shelf is exposed and the surf here is genuinely powerful.
Location
Visitor Information
Credit Cards: Unknown
Food Options: No shops or vending at either stop, so bring your own water. The one place to eat is Misaki-chaya Hana-no-Yume, the restaurant whose car parks serve the beach, just north of Kochomon — sashimi and grilled fish sets around 1,650 to 1,800 yen, kaisen-don 2,200 yen, and Echizen crab courses in winter by reservation. Open 9:00 to 16:00 (last orders 15:30), closed Thursdays. Otherwise the nearest options are the seafood places along Route 305 toward Echizen Cape and the Michi-no-Eki Echizen roadside station.
Access
Fukui, Japan
Get DirectionsFrequently Asked Questions
Where exactly are Daikoku's footprints at Zenigahama?
They are on the rock shelf below the Zenigahama lookout parking area, on the north side — not at the swimming beach parking. A signboard at the top marks them, and stairs lead down to the rocks. Be warned that visitors routinely struggle to pick out which hollows are the actual footprints; Echizen Town's own tourism blog says the same. Treat the rock shelf and the nearby tide-spouting rock as the real draw.
Can I walk from the Daikoku footprints parking to Zenigahama Beach?
You can, but it is not a good idea. The two parking areas are only about 500 metres apart, and the walk is physically short — but the only route is Route 305 itself, and there is no pavement along this stretch. That means walking in the carriageway of a coastal road where traffic moves quickly and sight lines around the headland are poor. Drive it instead; it takes a couple of minutes. Park twice if you want to see both: the Zenigahama lookout lot for the footprints and the tide-spouting rock, and the Misaki-chaya Hana-no-Yume lots for the beach.
What facilities does Zenigahama Beach have?
Essentially none. There are no toilets, no showers, no changing rooms and no shops or beach huts on the beach itself, and entry is free. The beach surface is rock and gravel rather than sand, so water shoes are far more comfortable than bare feet. Bring your own drinking water, shade and a towel, and change before you arrive. The one nearby building is Misaki-chaya Hana-no-Yume, the restaurant whose car parks you use to reach the beach (9:00 to 16:00, closed Thursdays) — it is a restaurant rather than a beach facility, so treat it as a meal stop, not as amenities. The 2026 swimming season runs July 15 to August 20; dates shift each year, so check the Echizen Town tourism site before travelling.
When can I see the tide-spouting rock (Shiofuki-iwa) erupt?
Winter, roughly December to February, when the Sea of Japan swell is strongest. The blowhole works by waves forcing water through a gap between rocks, so it needs a specific middle ground: a calm summer sea produces nothing, and a full winter storm makes the rock shelf too dangerous to stand on anyway. There is no schedule and no guarantee on any given day. Combine the trip with the Echizen daffodil fields, which bloom on the surrounding slopes from December to February.
Is Zenigahama safe for children, and what should I wear?
Use caution. The rock shelf below the lookout is uneven, often wet and completely exposed to the surf, and there are no lifeguards at the beach. Wear proper trainers or grippy water shoes rather than sandals, keep well back from the water line when there is any swell running, and do not go alone — Echizen Town's own guidance is to visit with a companion. Families with small children are better off sticking to the swimming beach in season and treating the footprints and blowhole as a look-from-the-top stop.
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