Surf Spots in Japan! Although Japan is a relatively small country compared to say, Australia or the U.S A, it still does have quite a few surfable points and can sometimes pull out world class waves. The area's mentioned below are just a small sample of the variety of surfbreaks that can be found throughout Japan. The main concentration of surfing activity is around the Chiba, Shonan and Shizuoka areas, although as of late almost every spot in Japan is crowded with surfers on the weekends. This is a GENERAL GUIDE to the major spots around the place. Of course, there are HEAPS of other great spots not mentioned here - but these are the main areas where all the punters head for. CHIBA Consistant, powerful beach breaks and thundering reefs make this area a mecca among surfers in Japan. Chiba also is the home of a number of contest sites including ASP events held every year. Consistant is the word when describing Chiba and you can almost always be guaranteed a decent wave as well as a decent crowd here. Best season is August thru October when the typhoons come through. Gets pretty crowded though with the weekend crew from Tokyo and surrounding areas. Depending on which part of Tokyo you start from, a 1 - 2 hour drive on the freeways will get you there. Just head south from Tokyo and make sure to stop off at Disneyland on the way! Summer : Boardies Winter : 4 - 5 mm Steamer Crowd Factor (out of 10): 8 LIVE CAMERAS - Chiba Area http://www.wavehuntersjapan.com/ LIVE CAMERA - Kujukuri, Chiba http://www.town.kujukuri.chiba.jp/camera/Livea.htm SHONAN Located a little further south of Chiba, Shonan mixes the city with the surf and attracts quite a crowd due to it's accesibility. Consisting mostly of beachbreaks, Shonan can get quite good but is usually smaller in size than it's neighbour Chiba. Best season is August thru October when the typhoons come through. Get started around the Enoshima area and work your way up to Kamakura. Summer : Boardies Winter : 3 - 4 mm Steamer Crowd Factor (out of 10): 9 SURF CAMERA - Shonan Updated Daily. http://www.i-mode-d.com/core/reports/reports.html SURF CAMERA - Chigasaki Beach, Shonan Updated Daily http://www.ne.jp/asahi/sufers/paradise/ LIVE CAMERA - Enoshima, Shonan Real Time Camera. http://www.ntt-kanagawa.com/camera/internet/enoshima.html SHIZUOKA Shizuoka has a kind of Shonan feel to it, but only more laid back and rural. Still, with the beach and city mix, Shizuoka can get quiet crowded. Mostly beachbreaks dominate this area, and like Shonan is usually small except when the typhoons start to roll on in. Then the action starts happening. Shizuoka is located further south of Shonan and has pretty much the same wave quality. Summer : Boardies Winter : 3 - 4 mm Steamer Crowd Factor (out of 10): 7 [Check out some pics of this area in the photos section] WAKAYAMA Wakayama on a good day can provide some of the best surfing in Japan. Overshadowed by the Chiba and Shikoku areas, Wakayama has always catered for the Osaka crews keen on finding a secluded wave. Reef breaks dominate this peninsular and a lot of the time you can find a good uncrowded wave. Needs a decent swell to produce anything worth puttin' on a wettie, but you can usually find some surf around in the summer time. GOBO: A two hour drive from Osaka will get you to the main surf area of Gobo, while heading further south gives you less of the crowds and picks up more of the swell. ISONOURA: Stay away from Isonoura on those summer weekends! I've seen a crowd of at least 700 people on a beach no longer than 1 km accross! Heavy Stuff!! However during the occasional fall/winter swell, the crowds are only a fraction of that. During July and August, the beach is divided into a surfing area (to the right of the main gate, beyond the lifeguard tower) and a bodyboarding/swimming area (to thye left of the tower) from 8 AM-5 PM. Summer : Boardies Winter : 3 - 4 mm Steamer Crowd Factor (out of 10): 6 - 8 [Check out some pics of this area in the photos section] SURF CAMERA - Isonoura, Wakayama Updated Daily http://www.i92surf.com/cams/surfcam.php?pt=1&pe=isonoura SHIKOKU A beautiful island located directly below Kobe, Shikoku catches a lot of swell and usually has the pickins' when it's small. Crossing the largest suspension bridge in the world - the Akashi Ohashi - a three to four hour drive from Kobe will get you some decent waves that pack a punch. Known for it's powerful waves, Shikoku can get pretty crowded and you'll have to go further south down the island before the crowd starts to thin out. Route 55 provides good access to most of the well known spots. The best place to get started is Ikumi beach. Gets crowded on the weekend but usually has the biggest surf. Ikumi can hold up to 5-6 foot but after that starts to close out. If it's too big at Ikumi, a 10 - 20 minute drive back towards Osaka will give you quality waves at the numerous different points that are sheltered. A good time to visit is in the summer when the town of Tokushima has an annual "awa-odori" festival. Surf all day - Party all night! Summer : Boardies Winter : 3 - 4 mm Steamer Crowd Factor (out of 10): 5 SURF CAMERA - Shishikui, Shikoku Updated Daily. http://www.mandala.co.jp/shishikui/camera/ LIVE CAMERA - Ikumi Beach, Kochi, Shikoku Real time camera. http://www.town.toyo.kochi.jp/wave/live.htm KYUSHU Kyushu is a surfers paradise with golden sandy beaches and consistant beachbreaks. The crowd is also a lot thinner than the breaks of Chiba, Shonan and Wakayama and summer brings powerful swells to this scenic area. If you want quality beachbreaks without the city crowds, then Kyushu is the place for you. If there's no swell around, you can always head on down to the "SEA GAYA" complex in Miyazaki that has a 2-3 foot sucky wavepool break that'll cure any lack of surf blues. Don't know if they'll let you take in a surfboard, but you can always rent a bodyboard. Summer : Boardies Winter : 3 mm Steamer Crowd Factor (out of 10): 5 LIVE CAMERA - Miyazaki, Kyushu - Various Cameras Real Time Camera. http://www.ii-nami.com/camera/camera_index.html OKINAWA & ISLANDS A tropical island chain right at the bottom of Japan, these islands can deliver the goods for the surfer looking to find a bit of the indo experience in Japan. Needing the right swell direction to work, it is a fickle place, but when it does get the right swell, indo class waves can be found. Mostly sharp coral reef breaks - when it's on - definately not for novices. With a tropical climate, surfers enjoy warm water most of the year with great views of the F-16's flying overhead from the U.S military base located on Okinawa. The main island of Naha is a good place to start, but a trip out to one of the many islands in the area is definately a worthwhile experience. Summer : Boardies Winter : 3mm S/S Steamer - 3mm L/S Steamer Crowd Factor (out of 10): 6 THE JAPAN SEA The Japan Sea is known for its classic winter barrels and boy, can it get cold. Winter storms passing through the Japan Sea whip up some huge waves for the mad crew who like to brave the cold. Summer, although not a good season for this area can sometimes bring swell. Beautiful scenery and clean water make this area a great place to visit even if there are no waves. Best season is from December - April. Snowfalls are common in the winter so bring your booties and gloves! Summer : Boardshorts - Short John Winter : 5mm Rubber!! Crowd Factor (out of 10): 4 [Check out some pics of this area in the photos section] HOKKAIDO Way too cold to surf up here, but if you are a keen madman there are some waves to be found, especially in Summer, when the locals come out to defrost. There's not really a large surfing population up there as most of the action is on the mountains. There are a few hardcore locals who brave the cold temperatures and are pretty laid back towards visitors to the area. Watch out for the bergs! Summer : 3mm S/S Steamer Winter : 285mm Rubber with Titanium! Crowd Factor (out of 10): 2