Tahara takes up the Atsumi Peninsula, the long southern arm of Aichi that divides Mikawa Bay from the Pacific before ending at Cape Irago. It is technically a city, but the reason to come is the coast: white lighthouse, wind-cut rocks, surf beaches, flower fields, and wide water on three sides.
The most satisfying stretch is around Cape Irago. Irago Misaki Lighthouse stands at the tip of the peninsula, with Koijigahama Beach curving away beside it and the sea-carved Hii Stone Gates just along the coast. In winter and early spring, Irago Nanohana Garden turns the fields yellow with rape blossoms.
Tahara is not a polished old town like Kyoto or Kanazawa. The town centre has Tahara Castle Ruins and a small museum, while Mount Zao Observatory gives the best inland view over the city, farms, bay, and factories. It works best as a quiet coastal detour from Toyohashi or Nagoya, especially if you have a car or are using the ferry across Ise Bay.