An enormous sand sculpture of an Edo-era copper coin (Kanei tsuho), called the Zenigata Sand Coin, is drawn on the white sand beach. To best see the sand sculpture on Ariake Beach, a person can look out west from Mt. Kotohiki towards the Hiuchinada Sea. From this vantage point, one can see the coin amid the expanse of black pines, set against the blue Seto Inland Sea. (Mt. Kotohiki is near the mouth of the Saita River in the city of Kan-onji). Visitors here can enjoy one of the most beautiful white sand and green pine sceneries on the Seto Inland Sea.
　The name Kotohiki (“koto playing”) comes from when Kotohiki Hachimangu Shrine was constructed long ago in 703, and the sound of a koto was heard from a boat carrying the god Hachiman. There are various hypotheses surrounding the origin of the Zenigata Sand Coin, such as that residents constructed it to welcome the feudal lords of Marugame Domain coming to inspect the area during the Edo Period (1603-1867). However, the origins of the sculpture are not clear.
　A Japanese-style garden was built along the Saita River in 1898, with two ponds “Kototsuru-ike” (koto string pond) and “Kotoji-ike” (koto bridge pond) that are designed with the origin of the park's name, Kotohiki, in mind.
Since the Edo Period, Ariake Beach has been known as an area of picturesque scenery (meisho) symbolizing Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture). The beach was established as a prefectural park in 1897, and later designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty in 1936.