While it’s great to visit Kotohikihama beach to experience the singing sands first hand, when the sands are wet they don’t make their characteristic ‘squeak’ noise. This is not a problem if you visit the Singing Sand Museum.

Here you can learn all about what makes the sand “sing” and the tiny organisms that give the beach it’s unique composition. There is also information on environmental issues which affect the beach, particularly ocean waste. And there are craft activities, which need to be booked in advance and have separate fees.

The Inaba Merchant House is a reproduction of a historic property originally built 130 years ago. It was owned by a wealthy shipping magnate family in the Kumihama area and is now a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

There is a restaurant attached to the property which has been here for 215 years. There are also craft activities including pottery, decorative plate painting, and incense making available.

Housed in a former elementary school, this local history museum houses thousands of items related to traditional daily life and agriculture. They sometimes feature special exhibitions focusing on specific aspects of daily life.

This art museum exclusively hosts the works of Mitsumasa Anno. His gentle watercolour paintings feature landscapes and scenes from around the world. The building itself is worth a look, and was designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando.

There is a museum gift shop and restaurant across the lawn from the museum, they are worth a visit too.

If you’ve had enough of visiting local sites and learning about local history, why not keep your hands busy with some of Kyotango’s great craft activities. We’ve actually got a whole blog post covering these over here, but check below for a brief run down.

• Glass Craft – Make beautiful memorabilia from stained glass.
• Komaneko Guardian Cat Painting – Available in two sizes you can decorate a cat statue however you see fit.
• Chirimen Silk Handkerchief Dyeing – Chirimen silk is a local product and you can dye a handkerchief with patterns of your choice.
• Herbarium – Use seashells, sea glass and more to make a herbarium.

Roadside Stations in Japan act as a place for local small-scale vegetable and fruit producers to sell their products and gift shops for visiting tourists to buy local specialty products to share with family, friends and colleagues. Even if you are visiting from abroad it can be nice to have a browse through produce you might not get back home. They also often have restaurant/cafes attached.

If all else fails on your quest for indoor activities, why not try one of Kyotango’s many cafes? There are a lot of cafes all around Kyotango, many of them selling local, and organic foods. It’s a great way to relax as you wait for the weather to change. Click here to see the cafes we have on our dining page