A “World’s No. 1” bench filled with the feelings of the citizens
The “World’s Longest Bench” is located along the beautiful Masuhogaura Beach with its white sands and green pines on the western shore of the Noto Peninsula. Built in 1987 thanks to the efforts of 830 volunteers, the Guinness Book of World Records registered it as the world’s longest bench in 1989. At a total length of 460.9m, the bench has since lost its record, but it is still beloved by people and still called by its name as the “World’s Longest Bench”. It has gained a famed reputation as the place for viewing sunsets, and built upon a small hill, it is indeed special seating to view them. It is a bench that has been built by local citizens in “…the hopes that many people will want to see this landscape.”
This bench which is so long that the ends cannot be seen has tables set up at various places so that visitors can relax at their leisure. The beauty of the sea which changes hour by hour can be thoroughly enjoyed by everyone through such vistas as the clear blue ocean on a good day and the sun setting into the horizon.
Masuhogaura Beach, a famous place for the beautiful light pink sakuragai
Masuhogaura Beach where the “World’s Longest Bench” is located, is not only famous as a seascape but also as a place where numerous beautiful shells wash ashore. It’s said that anywhere from 400 to 600 types of shell appear, and the beach is known as one of the major 3 areas in Japan for small shells. Especially from November to March, the winds blow ashore many various lovely small shells of different colors onto the beach. The numbers of shells grow even further the day after a time of rough seas so that a Shell Lane of sorts is created which is a special sign of winter in the area. Among these shells, the beautifully colored sakuragai (cherry shell) which brings to mind the petals of a cherry blossom is admired as “a shell bringing happiness”. The sakuragai is extremely delicate and brittle so that it has to be handled with care when going shell collecting.