I honestly didn’t know much about Shirahama. My only memory was seeing it on TV as the town that had lost its pandas. After spending about a month here, I gradually began to see Shirahama not just as a tourist destination, but as a town.
Tourism clearly lies at its core. Hotels, hot springs, restaurants, souvenir shops, even real estate agencies—visitors are its lifeline. Walking through the backstreets doesn’t change that impression. Daily life exists, but beneath it all is an economy deeply dependent on tourism.
The weather also lives up to the “resort town” image. Sunny days are common, drawing people to the blue sea and white sandy beaches. Even without the pandas, the beaches were crowded with swimmers. The water is strikingly clear, especially around rocky shores. Typhoons came and went during my stay, but rarely caused much trouble beyond high waves.
Unlike most tourists, I didn’t spend my days in hot springs or leisure spots. Instead, I kept up my workouts at the gym, as part of my daily routine. It was a way of “living while traveling,” and it gave me a closer sense of Shirahama as a place. Still, there were moments when I sensed a slightly unwelcoming air beneath the bustle of welcoming tourists.
Even so, on a sunny day, the white sands of Shirarahama Beach remain irresistibly attractive.
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