Shirarahama Beach
白良浜
A 620-metre beach of fine white quartz sand in Shirahama, Wakayama, and the first place on Honshu to open for swimming each year.
〒 649-2211How to get there
白浜Kisei Main Line66 min walk from the station
Shirarahama is a beach of white sand on the coast of Shirahama, in Wakayama Prefecture. It runs for about 620 metres.
The sand is quartz, about 90 per cent silica, which makes it white and very fine. Against it the water reads emerald green. Pines stand here and there along the beach. In 2006 the Ministry of the Environment named Shirarahama one of its 100 best bathing beaches (Kaisuiyokujo Hyakusen, 快水浴場百選). Since 2000 it has been a sister beach of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.
The bathing season opens during Golden Week, the run of national holidays at the start of May, which makes Shirarahama the earliest beach on Honshu to open each year. Swimming continues until the middle of September, and lifeguards watch the water through the season.
For part of the year an open-air onsen bath called Shirasuna stands on the beach itself, and can be used in a swimsuit.
What's on here
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| May 2027 | ||
| 24 May 2027Date to be confirmed | Sand Festival at Shirarahama Beach | |
Getting There
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