Shirahama Beach Park and Kashima-jinja Shrine

Shirahama's white sand beach comes with picnic and barbecue areas, plus dragnet fishing from March through September. Nearby Kashima-jinja Shrine carries an unusual history: after centuries of receiving rice sake offerings, a disastrous crop forced one year's tribute to be made from wheat instead, and that year's harvest was bountiful. When the community returned to rice sake as thanks, illness followed. The community concluded the deity preferred wheat. The shrine earned the nickname Beer Shrine, and visitors still bring beer today. The original structure was lost in the 2011 tsunami, though its foundation remains visible and many recovered monuments have since been restored.