Discover the Japanese Salar de Uyuni in Kagawa Prefecture!

Salar de Uyuni in Kagawa Prefecture? What is "Chichibugahama Beach"?

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is a popular tourist spot among Japanese people
because of its beautiful symmetric mirror-like reflection.It is such a wonderful view that everyone wants to see it once in a lifetime. In fact, you can see it right here in Japan.

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

That is "Chichibuhama Beach" in Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture. Referred to as “the Japanese Salar de Uyuni” and “the Sky Mirror of the Seto Inland Sea”, Chichibugahama Beach is a very popular tourist spot that attracts not only domestic but also international tourists.

Why can you photograph superb views at Chichibugahama Beach?

Chichibugahama is not a lake but a sea. Why are waves not forming and instead making a flat mirror reflection like Salar de Uyuni? This is due to the geographical features of the tideland being an extensive shallow beach.
Since the tideland of Chichibugahama Beach is extensive and shallow, it gets a large tide pool (puddle) at low tide. Furthermore, the waves are calm in the Seto Inland Sea because its inlet-like topography and nearby islands block the wind. This prevents the sea from creating waves, allowing a beautiful mirror of the water to be formed.
In addition, you can take superb photos of the reflection without advanced photographing technology.This picturesque site has become popular mainly on social media for its easily photographed features. Is it truly possible to take photos like the Salar de Uyuni?First, please take a look at this photo.

Chichibugahama Beach photographed with a smartphone

This is a photo that I personally took of Chichibugahama Beach with my smartphone (Android).
Zero filtering was applied to the photo. The app I used was pre-installed on my smartphone, and the photo was taken in Auto mode without any changes in mode or exposure.
With an image of a person reflected on the water surface, the photo shows an exquisite view just like the picture of Salar de Uyuni. With a couple of tips, anyone can take a photo like this.
This time, I actually went to Chichibugahama Beach to experiment on how to take pictures of the superb views with smartphones. I will introduce the tips for shooting and the conditions under which you can see the amazing view.

Three conditions to take fantastic pictures on Chichibugahama Beach

First of all, I would like to introduce "the conditions where you can see the wonderful scenery at Chichibugahama Beach." I recommend you check these before deciding when to visit Kagawa Prefecture. Although the water mirror itself appears twice a day at low tide on Chichibugahama Beach, there are three conditions for taking fantastic pictures like the one that was introduced earlier of Salar de Uyuni.

1. Less wind and calm waves

There is wind and the sea level is rising

This picture was taken when waves were forming. Although the picture itself is not bad, the reflection of the person on the water surface is not clear. There are three reasons why such waves are caused.

① Wind is blowing
② Tide pools are connected to the sea : Several tide pools can be formed, but if they are too close to the sea, they are affected by the
waves. Therefore, it is important to choose a tide pool that is not
connected to the sea.
③ Walking in the tide pool creates ripples : If you step into the water, try to be to minimize the waves.

I recommend the second (evening) low tide instead of the first (daytime) between the two tides of the day. This is not only because the sunset is beautiful, but it is less windy in the evening because of geographical reasons.

High chance of wind on the beach during the daytime

This is a photo taken during the low tide in the morning, and the wind slightly effected the photo.However, under the right conditions, you can take beautiful pictures even during the day time low tide during the daytime.

2. Concurrence of low tide and sunset

Tide pool at low tide

The water mirror is formed when a large thin tide pool is formed at low tide. At high tide, when there is no tide pool, the beautiful mirror of water is not formed. Furthermore, taking photos during sunset would be the best, however, the concurrence of the tides and sunset differ from day to day. If you visit the beach without any research, you may encounter the beach during a high tide.
Low tide and sunset do not happen at the same time everyday; there are two periods per month that last about a week. As such periods differ each month, make sure you check the website of " the Mitoyo City Tourism Exchange Bureau" for "the best view calendar" prior to your visit.

3.Aim for the magic hour of 30 minutes before sunset

Beautiful gradations created during the magic hour

The picture above was taken after sunset. You can see that the sky has a beautiful gradation of color. The magic hour refers to about 30 minutes before and after sunset. During this time, the sky turns into various colors, including orange, red, pink, and purple, allowing you to take beautiful pictures.
Another appealing aspect of Chichibugahama Beach is that there are no two days when the colors of the sky are the same. The weather conditions change the colors everyday.

Four tips on how to take beautiful pictures of Chichibugahama Beach with a smartphone

If you search for Chichibugahama Beach on the Internet, you can find many
amazing pictures. These pictures may have you thinking, "Weren't they taken with a single-lens reflex?” or "They must have been processed." with the right tips, you can take pictures of the beautiful views on the Chichibugahama Beach. You do not need a high-end camera or a tripod. All the pictures in this article were taken with a smartphone.
Aside from changing the size of some photos, none of them were filtered or processed in any way.

1. Keep the smartphone almost as low as the water surface. Hold it low.

First of all, this is a picture taken without applying the tip.

a mediocre shot

Although the person is reflected, the picture looks like just a regular picture taken on a trip. I held my smartphone low, but this tide pool seems to be short of water. At this angle, the beach merely appears as a black block.

Shot from a lower angle in a different tide pool with a larger volume of water

However, when I moved to another tide and took a photo, most of the beach did not show up ! Both the person and the sunset are in a beautiful vertical symmetry. The most important point is how you can eliminate the sand on the other side of the beach.
By holding the smartphone low and eliminating the beach, you can take a picture of an extensive view of an infinite surface of water.

Hold your smartphone almost as low as the level of the water

Position your smartphone so that it almost touches the water surface. Please be careful not to get your smartphone or clothes wet. When you take photos of people jumping or other dynamic pictures, make sure you use the burst mode.

2.Let's target time before and after sunset

The color of the sky changes every moment approaching sunset. It is
recommended that you arrive at least one hour before sunset, if possible,
as time goes by quite fast while you are figuring out how and where to
shoot.

Chichibugahama Beach before Sunset

This photo was taken before sunset. The color of the model’s clothing is also reflected. The closer you get to the model, the clearer the colors will appear. Therefore, if you would like a clear shot of a person, I recommend you arrive earlier.

The red sky looks fantastic during the sunset

The color of the sky is most likely to change most frequently during the sunset.The sun sets before you know it, so take many photos to capture the best moment. This picture was taken at the end of August. In this photo, the sun had set behind Tsuta Isalnd near Chichibugahama Beach. Since the sun sets in different areas depending on the season, wait and see how your sunset photo will turn out.

The sky changing colors after sunset is also a nice photo

It is a waste to leave as soon as the sun sets. During the post-sunset magic hour, the color of the sky changes. This allows you to take photos that are different from before sunset. You can take pictures of a fantastic view of the sky gradually changing to the night sky blue.

3. Changing the ratio between the sky and the sea as well as the location of the model

The ambiance of the photos also depends on the proportions of the sky and the
sea.

The proportions of the sky and the sea are almost the same

Because there were not many clouds on this day, there are few reflected on the water. However, on cloudy days, your photo may turn out better by increasing the proportion of the water.
Also, if you change the location of the model, you may be able to capture different views.

A photo that focuses on the model

My photo focuses on the sky and the sea, but if you are to emphasis the person, try shooting closer. In that case, it is not the model but the photographer that should approach. If the model enters the water, his or her legs look shorter with the feet not appearing in the picture.

4. Women are recommended to wear skirts to add some movement to the photos

In portraits shot with a smartphone before and after sunset, the subjects appear as silhouettes that are almost completely black. If the subject has a big bag, the silhouette may look awkward. It will look compact and nice minimal baggage.
If the model is a woman, I definitely recommend she wears a skirt.

The skirt creates a fluffy silhouette

Especially if the model is wearing a thin skirt light enough to sway in the wind, the added movement increases the professionalism of the photo. If there is no wind, the model will need to create movement herself. You can also create different atmospheres in your photos with transparent accessories, such as a plastic umbrella or a thin stole.

Access to Chichibugahama Beach and Supplementary Information

As there are free parking lots at Chichibugahama Beach, it is easily accessible the beach by car, you can also take trains and buses.

Access from Major Cities

< Flight from Tokyo>
①Haneda/Narita International Airport → Takamatsu Airport (flight approx. 1 hour )
②Takamatsu Airport → JR Takamatsu Station (limousine bus · approx.
30 minutes)
③JR Takamatsu Station → JR Takuma Station (Rapid Service or Limited
Express, approx. 40 minutes)

< Bus from Osaka (Kansai International Airport)>
①Kansai International Airport → JR Takamatsu Station (limousine bus,
approx. 3.5 hours)
②JR Takamatsu Station → JR Takuma Station (Rapid Service or Limited
Express, approx. 40 minutes)

< By train from Osaka>
①JR Osaka Station → JR Okayama Station (Shinkansen, approx. 1 hour)
②JR Okayama Station → JR Takuma Station (conventional line, approx.
1 hour)

< Train from Ehime, and Hiroshima>
・JR Matsuyama Station → JR Takuma Station (conventional line, approx.
2 hoursｓ)
・ JR Hiroshima Station → JR Takuma Station (Shinkansen and conventional line, approx. 2 hours)

Access by car

< Car navigation address>
Chichibugahama Beach 203-3 Niochoniootsu, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture

< Takamatsu Expressway>
Approx. 20 minutes from "Sanuki Toyonaka IC"
Approx. 20 minutes from "Mitoyo Tossaka IC"

Parking lots available

A free parking lot is available along the shoreline of Chichibugahama Beach. The beach is a few minutes walk from the parking lot.

An extensive parking lot is available

You can also see the sunset from the parking lot. If there are many cars, you may have to park at a parking lot a bit further away, however, it is only a few minutes' walk to the beach.

Take a bus from Takuma Station to Chichibugahama Beach

There is a community bus (Nio Line) that you can take from the nearest Takuma Station for 100 yen. Since the number of the buses are limited, I recommend you check Timetable in advance.

[Community bus]
Regular holidays: Sunday, public holidays (days in lieu), New Year holidays (December 30-January 3

Supplementary information about Chichibugahama Beach

A foot washing area

A parking lot near the beach has a foot washing area. Bring your own towel to wipe your feet Since your feet are definitely going to get wet, I recommend that you visit barefoot or wearing beach sandals or shoes that you don't mind getting wet.

The beautiful trashless beach

The sea has remained beautiful since local volunteers have been cleaning it for a long time. Make sure you take your trash with you.

Let's go and shoot great views of Chichibugahama Beach!

In addition to the beautiful scenery, you can also casually take beautiful pictures of Chichibugahama Beach, using your smartphones.
In addition to Chichibugahama Beach, Mitoyo City in Kagawa Prefecture has many unique tourist spots with rich nature. These include Maruyama Island, which you can walk across at low tide, and Shiude Mountain. The observation deck on top of the mountain commands an extensive view of islands in the Seto Inland Sea.
Around Chichibugahama Beach, there are also hotels and glamping sites with a superb scenery of the entire sea. The sunset is great, but the night sky is also exquisite. After shooting and having fun, how about relaxing at a hotel and observing the stars in the sky with the sound of waves as background music?