Hamamatsu- where excitement goes to die

Ok the title is a little dramatic but I was amused with a chat I had with my mother on MSN the other day. My Aunt and mother are planning a trip out to Japan and Hamamatsu this coming April and it should be quite fun. She was checking around on a Japan Guide website and came to the conclusion that "tourists don't seem to come to Hamamatsu at all because there is no information about the place anywhere on the web". I chuckled, I guess, because it is obvious to me, but it is kind of shame as there are many little 'treasures' around here that even I haven't checked out.

Nakatajima

I just talked about Hamamatsu castle in the last entry so today I will talk about Nakatajima. One of the most unexpected things in my oppinion about Hama town is that there are Sand Dunes here. When I think Sand Dunes, I imagine Lawrence of Arabia or Dune- large deserts with crazy sand storms. But here in Hamamatsu right next to the ocean sit these large piles of sand making quite a beautiful (though often very windy) scene to check out on sunny days.

When my friend Matin came to visit from Tokyo, I think that he was shocked that there is in fact clean air and beaches in Japan!

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Tatooine like I had expected.

Nakatajima is where the annual kite flying Matsuri (or festival) is held. I sadly have missed it both years I have been here, once because of sleeping in (oops) and once because I was in Vancouver.
I don't know if I would called the Sand Dunes a 'destination', but I would say if you were in the area (when it isn't windy- it can be cold!) that you should definitely check it out!