Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [335]
ONSEN
In addition to its great beach, Shirahama has some of Japan’s oldest developed onsen (they’re even mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, one of Japan’s earliest literary texts).
Shirasuna-yu (; 43-1126; 864 Shirahama-chō, Nishimuro-gun; 10am-3pm Oct-Jun, to 7pm Jul-Sep, closed Mon 16 Sep-30 Jun) is a free open-air onsen off the boardwalk in the middle of Shirara-hama beach. You can soak here and then dash into the ocean to cool off – not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Sakino-yu Onsen (; 42-3016; 1688 Shirahama-chō, Nishimuro-gun; admission ¥300; 7am-7pm Thu-Tue Jul & Aug, 8am-5pm Thu-Tue Sep-Jun) is sensational. It’s built on a rocky point with great views of the Pacific Ocean (and you can climb down the rocks to cool off if the waves aren’t too big). Come early in the day to beat the crowds. It’s 1km south of the main beach; walk along the seafront road and look for the point below the big Hotel Seymor. The baths are segregated by sex.
Other baths include Shirara-yu (; 43-2614; 3313-1 Shirahama-chō, Nishimuro-gun; admission ¥300; 7am-11pm Wed-Mon, noon-11pm Tue), a pleasant bath right on the north end of Shirara-hama (the main beach), and Murono-yu (; 43-0686; 1665 Shirahama-chō, Nishimuro-gun; admission ¥300; noon-11pm Thu, 7am-11pm Fri-Wed), a simple onsen not far from Sakino-yu, in front of Shirahama post office, on the way to Sakino-yu. Enter by 10.30pm.
SENJŌ-JIKI, SANDAN-HEKI & ISOGI-KŌEN
Just around the point south of the Sakino-yu Onsen are two of Shirahama’s natural wonders: Senjō-jiki and Sandan-heki. Senjō-jiki (Thousand Tatami Mat Point) is a wildly eroded point with stratified layers that actually resemble the thousand tatami mats it is named for.
More impressive is the 50m cliff face of Sandan-heki (Three-Step Cliff), which drops away vertiginously into the sea. While you can pay ¥1200 to take a lift down to a cave at the base of the cliff, it’s better simply to clamber along the rocks to the north of the cliff – it’s stunning, particularly when the big rollers are pounding in from the Pacific.
If you’d like to enjoy more rugged coastal scenery, walk south along the coast another 1km from Sandan-heki to Isogi-kōen, where the crowds are likely to be thinner and the scenery just as impressive.
These attractions can be reached on foot or bicycle from the main beach in around 30 minutes, or you can take a bus from the station (¥430, 20 minutes to Senjō-jiki, bus stop ‘Senjō-guchi’), from which you can walk to the others.
Sleeping
Minshuku Katsuya (; 42-3814; fax 42-3817; 3118-5 Shirahama-chō, Nishimuro-gun; r per person without meals ¥4000) Katsuya is the best-value minshuku in town and it’s very central, only two minutes’ walk from the main beach. It’s built around a small Japanese garden and has its own natural onsen bath. There is red-and-white Japanese writing on the building and faint English on a small sign.
Kokumin-shukusha Hotel Shirahama (; 42-3039; fax 42-4643; 813 Shirahama-chō, Nishimuro-gun; r per person with 2 meals ¥6870) This is a good bet if Katsuya is full, and offers similar rates. It’s a little dark and showing its age, but the rooms are spacious and there is an onsen bath. It’s just off Miyuki-dōri, 100m past the post office towards the beach (look for a parking lot and the black-blue-red-and-white sign). The tourist information office at the station has maps to both places.
Hotel Marquise (; 42-4010; fax 43-2720; www.aikis.or.jp/~marquise, in Japanese; 1905 Yuzaki, Shirahama-chō; r per person with 2 meals from ¥16,800) Very close to Sakino-yu Onsen, this hotel has excellent sea-view rooms, some with balconies. The Japanese-style rooms are spacious and clean. This hotel is popular with female guests and the ladies’ bath is larger than the men’s (something of a rarity in Japan).
Eating
There are many restaurants in the streets just in from the beach.
Kiraku (; 42-3916; 890-48