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Fuji-Hakone-Izu NP, Kanagawa
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Sand is scarce on Lake Ashi’s west side: the national-park trail identifies just 2 natural beaches there, Sanadahama and Shirahama. Shirahama sits near the trail’s southern end.
A pink flower spotted at Shirahama in autumn 2021 was unagitsukami—“eel-grabber.” Its prickly stem inspired the name; close relatives are called “loach-grabber” and “can’t-grab-eel.”
In the 1950s, Shirahama was a broad, clean lakeside gathering place. A Hakone park plan recalls local children using the shore for Boy Scout activities, alongside groups and individuals drawn to the water.
In the Edo era, the west shore was grassland maintained for surveillance from Hakone Checkpoint. After a Meiji-era imperial retreat was built, 30 years of cypress and broadleaf planting beautified views of the lake and Shirahama.
Plantation trees and sasa bamboo have narrowed this rare natural beach. A 2026 park plan proposes careful vegetation checks and community cleanups, aiming to improve the view without harming rare plants or the beach.
