Suma beach in Kobe

Published on : 07/02/2025
by : A.R / Lucie G.

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Youtube

Suma Beach at sunset
© Wanderplans.com, Unsplash

Fine sand just a stone's throw from Kobe

Japan is best known for its big cities and temples, but the archipelago is also home to beaches. Suma Beach is the perfect opportunity to take a relaxing break from your Japanese journey.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, Suma beach is located 20 minutes by train from Kobe, on Osaka Bay. What could be better than lounging on the fine sand after a city tour?

Beware, however, that the seaside is very popular with the Japanese in summer. So prefer spring - May, June - or even October, when you might be lucky enough to have the beach and the Seto Sea view all to yourself!

The beach that soothes and inspires

Suma Beach Resort isn't very big, and the noise of the trains from the JR station just across the street sets the pace for your getaway. But it's not hard to feel cut off from the world sitting by the water.

Young schoolchildren come to chat after school, the local akita-inu frolic here and there and the fishermen's boats seem to melt into the horizon... Suma beach soothes and inspires.

In fact, it features in a number of Japanese literary works, including, the novel The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.

Suma Beach, Kobe
© jim212jim, wikimedias

View of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

From Suma beach, just turn your head to the right to see the immense Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. At 3,911 meters long, it links Kobe to the island of Awaji by crossing the Seto Sea, and offers a lovely promenade after the beach.

There are also other activities close to the waterfront, such as the city's aquarium. You can then easily reach Kobe, Kyoto or Osaka to round off your day in style.

See also: The city of Kobe

Just a few minutes' walk away, you can also visit the Sumadera temple, an important place of history and religion in Japan.

How do I get to Suma beach?

JR Suma and Sanyo Suma stations are located opposite the beach, so when you get off the train, you'll arrive directly at the beach! You can get there via the JR Kobe and Hanshin lines.