Japan is a beautiful country on all levels. It has incredible architecture in the cities (both modern and ancient); tall, statuesque mountains; stunning green gardens and forests; and much, much more. It also has some amazing beaches that you just have to see. Here are four of the best beaches in Japan to put on your itinerary.
Shirahama
Located in south Wakayama, Shirahama is known as the region's "natural wonder." To be completely accurate, though, this breathtaking beach is not actually one hundred percent "natural." While the sand that makes it up is truly fine, white sand, this sand is not actually from this area. Most of the beach is made up of sand brought in from Australia. The cliff formations and hot springs are real, though, as is the jewel-like blue water, which is enough to make you forget that it took a little work to put this whole thing together.
Oarai Sun Beach
The largest beach in the Kantō region, Oarai Sun Beach has the parking lot to prove it. So many visitors come to enjoy this beach every summer that a "monster parking lot" was built to hold all of their cars. This lot has 7,000 spaces, so there should be an open one for you! Once you get to the beach itself (which is even more enormous than the parking lot), it is covered in a pretty white sand that is thankfully absent of all the rocks and debris you might step on other beaches. The water is calm for the most part as well, thanks to the rock formations in and around it, making this a great place for swimming and snorkeling.
Jodogahama Beach
If you have read any of our other articles, you will know that we are suckers for volcanic rock formations. That's reason enough to put Jodogahama Beach on our list of beaches to visit, as it is decorated by some truly amazing white volcanic stones that were created more than 52 million years ago. You can also see the remains of ancient lava flows here, as well as a calm sea and lush, green forests of pine trees. This beach is easy to get to and easy to love, but surely difficult to leave!
Yonaha Maehama Beach
Almost every list of beautiful beaches in Japan agrees that the number one spot goes to Yonaha Maehama Beach in Okinawa. This is a great destination for both visitors and locals, as it is around 400 miles away from the rest of Japan. This means that not only is it more peaceful than the city, but the air is cleaner and the general vibe here is a more relaxed one. With nearly 4 miles of beach to spread out on, there is plenty of space for everyone who wants to come and sunbathe or walk in the sand without feeling crowded. To make it even better, the water is a dazzling shade of light blue that makes it look like something from a postcard or a watercolor painting.