Category
Ocean and Beach
ActivitiesOcean and Beach
Nearly 30,000 kilometers of coastline means Japan’s ocean activities run from Chiba’s beginner-friendly surf breaks to Okinawa’s coral reefs and the pristine dive sites of the Bonin Islands. Our complete guides to surfing in Japan and diving in Japan cover both in full, region by region. This section also holds our full archive of snorkeling, sea kayaking, and beach travel content, from Hokkaido’s cold-water breaks to the subtropical south.
Adventure Travel
Bonin Blue
They call it “Bonin Blue.” Here I hovered, 60 feet under, surrounded in sapphire. Below, large boulders littered the sea floor. I...
Scuba Diving
Guam’s Pacific Treasures
The welcome creation of new marine preserves in Guam look to provide a safe haven for large fish to breed, a boost to the dec...
Scuba Diving
Diving into the CNMI
Saipan and Rota are more than just quick tropical getaways for travelers from Japan. They are also havens for divers who know the...
Snorkeling
Mikura Island’s Wild Dolphins
There are no beaches here, at least not sandy ones. No seaside inns. The terrain is best described as vertical, making one wo...
Aomori
Get Your Fix on Route 338
Route 338 weaves along the northeast tip of Aomori in northern Honshu where sandy beaches stretch all the way from Misawa north t...
Surfing
Wayne Lynch: Australian Surfing Legend
The ocean is silent; rising lines creep toward a sleepy fishing bay. Barefoot, in a dark blue fleece sweater and khaki shorts, a ...
Sea Kayaking
Freedom in Exile
There is an upside to a recession, I thought to myself. My head down, arms paddling too hard against wind and waves to worry abou...
Bali
Wax On, Drop In, Chill Out!
Alex Springenschmidt first came to Bali in 1998 and, like many before him, he fell in love with the waves, smiling faces and the ...