Sorafune Pier - そらふねの桟橋

Sorafune Pier- そらふねの桟橋 Uchinomaki

Sorafune Pier known as Sorafune no sanbashi そらふねの桟橋 is a viewing platform on top of Mt. Tangoyama 田子山. A great photo spot with views looking out over the peaceful farmland of the caldera basin to the smoking central peak of Asozan.

Tangoyama , also known as Tagoyama is the name given to the 651m high hill sticking out half way from the northern caldera edge above the onsen town of Uchinomaki 内牧.

Once you get to the top either on foot or by car you can walk around the summit, relax and enjoy views and visit the wooden pier which seems to jut out over the caldera. At the weekends you can enjoy a drink at the Sorafune Pier cafe.

Sorafune Pier Cafe

At weekends a small open air cafe opens with fantastic views. They have a limited menu of coffee and some other drinks and are ususally open if the weather is fine from around 9am to 4pm. Payment is in cash only, drinks are around 400 Yen.

Getting to Sorafune Pier by car

Sorafune Pier is a 15 minute drive from Aso station, however at present you can’t quite trust Google Maps to get you there.

Once you cross the river in Uchinomaki, Google maps will tell you to turn left, but if you want to get to the carpark on top of Tangoyama ignore this and turn right. Drive for a few hundred meters and look out for a sign saying 田子山 on your left.

The Google map route to Sorafune Pier will only get you part of the way.

The real route to the Sorafune Pier hilltop carpark.

Keep an eye for this sign and take the sharp turn on your left.

Go straight then take the narrow road on your right.

The road up to the carpark is just over a km in length, it’s steep, narrow and winding, with few passing places. Keep an eye out for small signs like this on the way. The sign tells you the distance to the next passing place and how far it is to the top.

If you do meet another car on the way be prepared to reverse to the nearest passing place.

Once you see this sign though you can breathe a sigh of relief, you made it to the top!

The car park is spacious, there’s a cute thatched machine where you can pay the 100 Yen parking fee, there’s also a toilet and some goats… which you can take for a walk for 200 Yen!

How to get to Sorafune Pier on foot

There’s a grassy area with an information sign about Tangoyama 田子山 near the pond where you can park for free. At the rear side of the parking area you will see a small sign pointing to the footpath entrance. The path starts by taking you up past some graves and then into the woods.

Keep following the small signs and heading up, the path is well kept with some steps, a small shrine and zigzag parts up the steeper parts. There are motivational signs telling you to ‘Ganbarimasho!’ and ‘Fight’ and once you get to the final stretch you will start to get some views down into the caldera valley. Taking your time it will take around 30 minutes to get to the top.