Niji-no-Matsubara

**Interior walking trail:** The 3-km walking trail through the center of the pine grove (not the beach path) passes through the densest and oldest section of trees. The trail is marked by pale pink ribbons and encounters almost no visitors — most people walk the beach perimeter. **Photography light:** At 16:00–17:30 (October–April), the low sun penetrates the pine canopy at a nearly horizontal angle, creating long shadow corridors through the straight trunks. This light window is the defining Niji-no-Matsubara image.