It’s hard to believe that there’s any sort of beachy, “surf’s up, Dude!” culture in Tokyo, but there certainly is if you take the JR East Yokosuka rail line about an hour south of the city, to Zushi Beach.
It is less well known but not much less crowded than the beaches at Kamakura, and is very popular with windsurfers (and surfers, whenever a freighter steams past and some waves roll in.)
July and August are the “official” beach season. Like so much else in very orderly Japan, the Polynesian-style thatched hut beer joints and fish taco stands don’t begin to appear on the rather grubby sands until it is officially time to appear, then they sprout overnight and disappear as quickly at the end of August.
Rather than spend the ridiculous amount of Yen that you’ll be charged for a beachside meal, head inland a little and go Hawaiian at Vahana’s Bar in Zushi.
It’s a two-story building on a main street in Zushi, with palm fronds and surfboards hanging all over it.
There’s a pretty extensive menu, friendly staff, frequent live music and lots of locals.
Beats the heck out of some overpriced, pretentious club in Roppongi.
Hi Alistair,
Wow, thanks, that’s some wonderfully-detailed advice!
Readers, Away.com covers a wide array of destinations and activities; go visit them soon.
Other great Japanese surf spots in Japan include the swell off Miyazaki-ken, on the eastern side of southerly Kyushu Island. The best spots are near Hyuga and Nichina, which are north and south of Miyazaki City, respectively. You can also surf at Shiratsuru Beach, in the town of Amakusa-machi (part of the Amakusa chain of islands anchored off of Kyushu’s Kumamoto prefecture). Amakusa is a really interesting part of the country, being the place where Christianity first took root after Portuguese missionaries landed here in the 1600s. The people here are amazingly friendly and hospitable, plus there’s a pretty cool underground surf scene. There’s also another gorgeous beach, Mogushi, which is about 45 minutes south of Shiratsuru; Away.com has a profile, photo, and map at: http://blogs.away.com/beach_guide/2008/05/awaycom-beach-w.html (part of a Beach Week series leading up to the Memorial Day weekend).
I lived in Zushi for two years, and unquestionably endorse the place. I fell in love with it, and its laid back beachtown vibe. Vahana’s was my regular spot, offering very tasty fare, surf vids, good beer, and some great music. The seasonal beach bars are not to be missed, with a variety of food offerings, plenty of drinks, and the occasional live performances. I saw everything from beatboxing & fire dancing, to acoustic sets & techno dj’s. Another attraction during firework season is the Zushi firework festival. Easily the most people I ever saw in the town, and a night not to be forgotten.
Aside from the great beach, I also made regular use of the trails through the hills surrounding the town. I’m a pretty serious mountain biker, and some of the trails were phenomenally technical and fun. These trails have been around for hundreds of years in some cases, and wind through the hills toward the once-capitol city of Kamakura.
At any rate, Zushi is great for an afternoon beach retreat from the hustle of Tokyo, or a place to live. Many of my friends in Tokyo would stop at nothing to come visit my home in Zushi during the summer. Enjoy!
I used to ltve in Zushi Japan just off the beach way back in 1968 and Im coming back soon to visit is there anybody out there that could or would e mail me on some questions I have about what it is like there now
Wondering if my old house still exists just off the beach in zushi japan would appreciate to hear from anybody
Wondering if old rental house still exists 100 yards off beach or if it was turned into a hotel. Was last there in 1968 would really appreciate any input or info …Please call 1(906) 273-1650 or 1(906) 360-6235 or e- mail @ [email protected]. Going to revisit sometime in near future …Thank-you