William Otachimisaki (御立岬公園), just south of Yatsushiro, is a popular beach. However, it is artificial, short, and usually crowded. Venture a bit further south to Ashikita, though, and you’ll find a string of beaches that offer many delights: Shirasuna (白砂ビーチ), Ashikita Marine Park (芦北マリンパークビーチ, AMP), and Tsurugahama (鶴ヶ浜海水浴場).
Shirasuna is a small, natural cove (thus least-visited) with good snorkeling and a gazebo. It is separated from AMP by a short peninnsula tipped by a fake windmill which offers a scenic walk to AMP either over the hill or on a narrow path along its edge.
AMP is popular with the volleyball gang, with several courts and public restrooms. There is also a small jetty to stabilize the sand (the beach is artificial) which terminates in quite deep water so is safe and very fun to leap from. Shirasuna and AMP share a common parking lot which costs Y500 if anyone is around to collect it.
A maintenance road connects AMP with Tsurugahama, which is the longest and most crowded of the three. It is popular with parents as its roadside parking is close by; thus, it has many concessions with icees and hot dogs.
A note about camping: I have camped several times (alone aside from my dog and in my small tent) on AMP and have had no problem. There are no signs (or at least were not last time I was there) which prohibit camping. Official cars have passed by my site without stopping to comment. But please observe etiquitte: No open fires (eschew the barbeque; bring a gas stove - even a konro will do - and gas or electric lantern), no fireworks, and leave your site cleaner than you found it.
A link to the tourism site: http://ashikita-kankou.com/ Photos: Shirasuna, Ashikita Marine Park ( - note the jetty for jumping), and Tsurugahama. Remember, you can park once and walk through all three in about an hour.