{"id":6357,"date":"2026-09-27T15:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T06:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.gogo-tour.com\/info\/?p=6357"},"modified":"2026-09-20T17:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T08:00:27","slug":"itoshima-meoto-iwa-fukuoka-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.gogo-tour.com\/info\/itoshima-meoto-iwa-fukuoka-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"Itoshima Meoto Iwa: Fukuoka’s Sunset Couple Rocks by Car"},"content":{"rendered":"

Itoshima’s Meoto Iwa \u2014 a one-hour drive west of Hakata, where a white torii frames the setting sun<\/span><\/h2>\n

Just an hour west of Fukuoka’s Hakata district, the coastline suddenly opens onto the deep blue Genkai Sea \u2014 and floating 150 metres offshore, two dark rocks stand side by side beneath a stark white torii. This is Sakurai Futamigaura<\/strong>, better known to visitors as Meoto Iwa<\/strong>, the “husband-and-wife rocks.”<\/p>\n

You will see this view on almost every Fukuoka Instagram feed, but photos flatten what actually makes it special: the light off the Genkai Sea, the shimenawa rope swaying between the two rocks, and \u2014 if you time it right \u2014 the sun dropping straight between them at the horizon.<\/p>\n

This guide covers the practical side of visiting by rental car: parking rates, how to avoid the tour-bus crowds, when the sunset actually lines up between the rocks, and how to loop the spot into a half-day Itoshima drive.<\/p>\n

If you plan to rent a car, you can browse vehicles and pick-up locations on our Fukuoka rent-a-car page<\/a> \u2014 Hakata Station and Fukuoka Airport pick-ups both available.<\/p>\n

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What exactly is Meoto Iwa?<\/h3>\n

The full name is Sakurai Futamigaura<\/strong>, located in Shima-Sakurai, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture<\/strong>. About 150 metres offshore<\/strong>, two rocks \u2014 locally also called Suzume Iwa \u2014 rise straight out of the sea. They are the sacred body (goshintai) of Sakurai Shrine, a Shinto shrine founded in 1632 by the second lord of the Fukuoka Domain, Kuroda Tadayuki.<\/p>\n

The right-hand rock is male<\/strong> and the left-hand rock is female<\/strong>. In Japanese mythology, the two deities enshrined here \u2014 Izanagi and Izanami \u2014 are the creator gods who gave birth to the Japanese islands. That’s why this stretch of coast is treated as a “power spot” for couples, weddings, and anyone hoping to strengthen a relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Rock<\/th>\nRight \u2014 Male<\/th>\nLeft \u2014 Female<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Height<\/td>\n11.8 m<\/strong><\/td>\n11.2 m<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Enshrined deity<\/td>\nIzanagi-no-Mikoto<\/td>\nIzanami-no-Mikoto<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Symbolism<\/td>\nMarital harmony, family lineage<\/td>\nGood matches, en-musubi (bonds)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Position yourself on the beach and the white torii lines up neatly between the two rocks \u2014 the reason this is one of the most popular pre-wedding and proposal photo spots in Kyushu.<\/p>\n

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The shimenawa rope is replaced every spring<\/h3>\n

The heavy braided rope stretched between the two rocks is a shimenawa<\/strong> \u2014 a Shinto marker separating the sacred from the everyday world. This one is enormous: 30 metres long, 50 cm thick, and roughly 1 tonne in weight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The rope is replaced every year during the spring spring tide, when the water pulls back far enough to reach the rocks on foot. The ceremony is called \u014c-Shimenawa-Kake-Sai<\/strong> and is carried out by about 50 parishioners (ujiko) of Sakurai Shrine.<\/p>\n

The 2026 date is May 3<\/strong>. The schedule runs roughly: 08:00 shrine rite, 09:00 rope-making on the shrine grounds, and around 15:00 the new rope is carried out to the rocks and installed with a purification blessing. If you happen to visit in early May and the rope looks unusually bright and clean, you are seeing the year’s brand-new one.<\/p>\n

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Parking: 300 yen per hour, first 10 minutes free<\/h3>\n

Entry to the beach is free<\/strong> \u2014 there is no ticket booth or fence. Parking is where the cost sits. The municipal Futamigaura Parking Lot<\/strong> sits right in front of the rocks and switched from free to paid on April 1, 2023<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Rate<\/td>\n300 yen per hour<\/span> (first 10 minutes free)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hours<\/td>\n24 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Capacity<\/td>\n47 cars<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vehicle limits<\/td>\nLength 5 m \u00b7 Width 2.3 m \u00b7 Height 2.1 m \u00b7 Weight 2 t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bikes & mopeds<\/td>\nFree<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The rate is charged per hour, not capped<\/strong>: staying 90 minutes will cost 600 yen. If you only stop for a quick photo and leave within 10 minutes, parking is free. Large tour buses cannot use this lot walk-up \u2014 they must reserve one of three private lots in advance (Futamigaura Park Seichi, Itoshima Sabo, or Palm Beach The Gardens).<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

If the municipal lot is full on a summer weekend, the neighbouring Palm Beach paid lot and Itoshima Sabo customer parking usually still have space at 500\u20131,000 yen per day.<\/p>\n

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How long does the drive from Fukuoka take?<\/h3>\n

Meoto Iwa is one of the easiest self-drive day trips from central Fukuoka. Take the Urban Expressway west, transfer to the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway, and exit at Imajuku IC<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
From<\/th>\nRoute<\/th>\nTime<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Hakata \/ Tenjin<\/td>\nUrban Expressway \u2192 Nishi-Kyushu Expressway \u2192 Imajuku IC \u2192 Route 202 \/ Prefectural 54<\/td>\nAbout 1 hour<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Imajuku IC<\/td>\nLocal roads toward Sakurai<\/td>\nAbout 30 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fukuoka Airport<\/td>\nVia Urban Expressway<\/td>\nAbout 1 hour 10 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

You can technically do it without a car \u2014 JR to Chikuzen-Maebaru or the subway to Kyudai-Gakkentoshi, then a Showa Bus to “Futamigaura \/ Tsuki to Taiyo Itoshima Sabo mae,” a four-minute walk from the rocks \u2014 but bus frequency drops sharply in the evening, which is exactly the time you want to be here.<\/p>\n