Seaside cafes facing the setting sun
The west coast of Awaji Island, a large island in the Seto Inland Sea linked to Kobe by a long suspension bridge, faces open water, so the sun sets straight into the sea. Cafes and restaurants line the coast road, each with windows or terraces turned toward the sunset. You will need a car, about an hour's drive from central Kobe, so check the sunset time and aim to arrive a little before it.
The original shop of a pancake cafe chain known in Japan for its thick, wobbly, souffle-like pancakes, with a terrace looking straight out to the horizon. Eat as the sun goes down over the water in front of you. Weekends and holidays bring long waits, so come early or on a weekday.
An Italian restaurant with the sea right outside its windows, which also works as a cafe for an afternoon coffee and cake. Its sunset dinner is timed to the moment the sun goes down. The sunset dinner must be booked in advance.
A Western-style restaurant and cafe where every seat faces the sea, so you can eat while the water and sky change color at dusk. It is part of a seaside complex with shops and other restaurants. Tables can be booked online, and it is closed on Thursdays.
A cafe with a wooden deck about a meter above the waves, which turns orange in the evening light. It closes in the early evening, so it suits autumn and winter, when the sun sets earlier. It is closed on Wednesdays.
A white-sand beach on the west coast where you can watch the sun sink into the sea from the sand. It is a place to stay on after the cafes have closed, until the last light is gone. The beach car park may open only in the summer swimming season, so plan where to park at other times.