Revitalizing Miyakonojo: How a Desire to Energize the City Created a Beach Space Amid Inland Factories

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A beach in the satoyama that serves both as an international-level competition venue and a haven for local relaxation—read the story behind it.

Miyakonojo City, where Kirishima Shuzo is based, is not a seaside town. However, once you pass the towering shochu manufacturing plant and gigantic tanks, you will find a sandy white beach where people relax. This beach is the "KIRISHIMA BEACH PARK."

It is located within Kirishima Shuzo's directly managed facility, Shochu no Sato Kirishima Factory Garden. Its spacious grounds covered with Australian white sand is a rare inland beach volleyball court that is also used as one of the venues for the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour, Japan’s top beach volleyball tournament.
Why was a beach built here? We spoke to Koji Hosoyamada and Masao Marumoto of Kirishima Factory Garden Business Division.

The first time a beach volleyball tournament was held at Kirishima Shuzo was in 2000.
"I’ve been told that it all started when the tournament organizers approached us about holding a beach volleyball tournament in Miyazaki Prefecture," Hosoyamada says, flipping through documents from that time.
Initially, the tournament organizers were looking for a location along the coast, but faced difficulties finding an ideal environment. Inspired by the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, they reconsidered the possibility of holding the tournament inland, and Miyakonojo City emerged as a candidate. Miyakonojo City and Kirishima Shuzo then cooperated, quickly building a court using river sand near the current Kirinokura Hall at the Kirishima Factory Garden, and the tournament became a reality.
"There were key personnel in Miyakonojo who were well versed in beach volleyball, including a Miyakonojo native who competed in the Atlanta Olympics. And above all, the management of Kirishima Shuzo had a strong desire to 'energize the local Miyakonojo.' I think these factors made it possible to hold the event at our facility."

It was reborn as "KIRISHIMA BEACH PARK" in 2018. When the entire Kirishima Factory Garden facility was renovated, it was moved to its current location and can now be seen from the factory tour route.
"The concept of the renovation was to create a space that evokes the image of 'satoyama,' where you can feel the majestic nature of the Miyakonojo area and the history of Kirishima Shochu," Marumoto recalls.

To create a "satoyama" vibe, the beach park's sand barriers were made of stone instead of concrete, and many trees and flowers were planted around the area, creating a space where visitors can experience the four seasons of Japan.
"We planted about 10,000 types of flowers and about 60 types of trees, including plum, bamboo, and the symbolic cherry tree. We wanted our guests to experience the original Japanese landscape."

In addition, to improve the environment for beach volleyball, the area was made large enough to set up three courts, and white sand was used, which is close to the standards for international competitions, where the color and grain size of the sand are specified in detail.
"Fine particles can easily catch your feet, creating an extremely stressful environment for athletes. The ground is ideal not only for tournaments but also for training, and is used as a training ground for athletes' pre-tournament training camps and for the practice of local high school volleyball teams."
Furthermore, as a tournament venue, the facility is designed to have good drainage, and safety is ensured by daily cleaning and machines that remove foreign objects before the tournament.
"After visiting beach volleyball courts in other prefectures and receiving a lot of advice from tournament organizers, I'm proud to say we've created an environment where players can play safely at an advanced level."

The 2025 tournament will mark the 26th time that Kirishima Shuzo will host the Japan Beach Volleyball Tour. This is the only venue in Japan that has held a tournament at the same location for 26 years, since its first tournament. As it is a place with a long history, many players look forward to visiting Miyakonojo City.
Hosoyamada shares his thoughts about the tournament.
"Personally, I think it would be interesting to hold the tournament at night, like at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It would also be great if Kirishima Shuzo can contribute in a unique way, such as allowing people to enjoy the beer garden that is held at our facility at the same time. We also want to help promote beach volleyball, and the excitement surrounding the tournament should also lead to the revitalization of the local area."

Marumoto also spoke about the future of KIRISHIMA BEACH PARK.
"Currently, in addition to sports, the park is a popular spot, used by local residents for sand play, cherry blossom viewing, barbecues, and local school field trips. We hope to continue adding new activities and making the park even more enjoyable, so that it can become a 'satoyama of the heart' for everyone."

An inland beach that was not originally supposed to be there, yet came to life through the aspiration of Kirishima Shuzo.
As long as that passion lives on, KIRISHIMA BEACH PARK will continue to provide visitors with relaxation and excitement.