From the World Beyond Earth to Local Gourmet Delights

Feel like venturing to a place where the deep blue sea meets the vast reaches of outer space? A short train ride from Kanazawa City is the sal community of Hakui, known locally for its one-of-a-kind beach and legends of UFOs. It’s one of my favorite places to go when my feet itch to get out of town.

Explore the Cosmos

Cosmo Isle is a museum of space exploration right on the edge of one of Japan’s purported UFO hotspots. The building itself is a wide dome (meant to resemble a flying saucer, most likely). The exhibition space isn’t huge, but the items on display are worth seeing.

Vehicles from Nasa have been faithfully recreated right down to the millimeter utilizing the exact materials (and in some cases actual spare parts) of their real-life versions. Peer inside the Mercury spacecraft and Apollo Command Module. There are life-size replicas of the Apollo Lunar Rover, Apollo Moon Lander, and Voyager Satellite, too. Spacesuits for various mission activities are also on display, courtesy of Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan.

Take care not to breeze past the exhibition’s library section; if you have even the smallest fraction of space nerd in you, you’ll want to crack open the press kits for the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 missions.

As fantastic as the Nasa exhibits are, I was even more impressed by the vehicles from the former Soviet Union. Original video footage from each respective project has been used to create short films that describe the development of the vessels on display: a Vostok Capsule with a short biography of cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, the backup Molniya Communications Satellite, and the Luna 24 moon sample collector probe.

Unlike the Nasa exhibits, the ones from the former Soviet Union have either gone into space and returned to Earth (such as the Vostok Capsule and Luna 24) or were intended for launch (like the Molniya satellite).

Up until this point, the museum offers explanations in English. But what about Japan’s close encounters of myth and legend? Did local people really see flying saucers? Did they rejoice or use them as cautionary tales, warning their children not to be late for dinner? At the time of my visit (May 2026) those explanations were only available in Japanese, but they’re worth bringing along a translator for.

A Day at the Beach

Hakui’s seaside is the only place in Japan where vehicles can be safely driven right on the sand. This is due to the fine grains, which pack together to make a stable surface.

Decades ago, Chirihama Beach Driveway was almost three times the width it is today. Little by little, the ocean waves ate away at the shoreline. Today, it remains wide enough to both park along the water’s edge and still allow for a single lane of traffic. This is due to the conservation efforts that were implemented about a decade ago. You can’t see them, but artificial “speed bumps” have been installed beneath the waves to prevent the loss of more sand to the greedy ocean. These underwater walls make the sea here too rough to swim in, but you’re not likely to find a better or more accessible beach for taking a long stroll and turning over seashells.

Grilled Oysters and Sea Salt Gelato

Once upon a time, I gave oysters a try in my home country and promptly decided that I hated them. After living in Japan for over 20 years, I’ve learned not to let my previous food preferences stop me from giving things a second chance. Why? Because the food in Japan is almost always spectacular. (I’m still on the hunt for epic Chicago-style pizza and redhot Mexican tacos.)

During my visit at Chirihama, I decided to eat oysters again and I’m so glad I did because they were amazing.

Pick a table with an ocean view and grill your own fresh oysters and scallops! (Even if you’ve never grilled seafood before, don’t worry. There are photo-aided instructions in English right at your table.) While you’re waiting the agonizingly long ten minutes for your food to finish cooking, nibble on a serving of deep-fried oysters which are so good you’ll be tempted to place a second order. (Calories schmalories!)

If you’re taking the train back to Kanazawa (or onward into the Japanese countryside), give yourself an extra half hour or so to stop by Hakui’s gelato shop where you can try my personal favorite local flavor: sea salt gelato. I always pair it with a scoop of pistachio, but a scoop of chocolate is also a great choice.

The staff will ask you which additional flavor you’d like to try and they’ll add a bite of it for you to taste on your spoon. This time, I went with Nutella. Yum.

Quiet and quirky, mysterious and relaxing: that’s what Hakui City is to me. If you’re looking for something similar on your trip to Japan, this is one of the best places to find it.

About Keri Yazawa

Keri Yazawa, a resident of Kanazawa City since 2005, guides bicycle tours specializing in good food, quirky history, local craft making, and gorgeous landscapes.

Article photos and written content © 2025 Keri Yazawa. All rights reserved.