Gallery: The Land Of The Rising Sun

Most surfers - and Aussies in general - associate Japan with snow. Rightly so thanks to the bottomless powder delivered by way of Siberia.

Super typhoons rate a mention every year or so when targeting the southern prefectures, but for the most part, the fourth-largest archipelago in the world is largely overlooked by surfers.

Yet with swell-generating fetches able to provide surf to any coast at any time, not to mention being open to the Pacific Ocean, it's worth wondering why Japan is so often overlooked.

A major limiting factor is the ability to speak fluent Japanese, as English-speaking nationals are rare away from the major cities and tourist hotspots.

This is where I’m fortunate to have a partner from the Land of the Rising Sun, effectively eliminating any cultural barrier encountered whilst venturing further afield.

There’s also the aesthetics linked with a surf trip away from home. Idyllically it's somewhere warm, with clear water, white sand beaches, and maybe even vibrant coral reefs. 

In general, Japan is at the opposite end of the scale: often being industrial, bleak, and akin to something out of a post-apocalyptic world. This isn’t to say you can’t find more aesthetically pleasing surroundings (the photo journal below will show as much) but for the most part, surfing near the population centres means you’ll be clambering over concrete to enter murky water rather than paddling off pristine beaches full of colour and life.

My first taste of the ocean was at Chiba, just up the road from where the Olympics were held. Carparks were packed with miniature vans thanks to it being Golden Week. Golden Week is a week where all public holidays for the year are bundled into one. It's the busiest week of the year both in the cities and rural regions.

You can’t miss the miniature board stools that every car has laid out at the back of. The purpose isn’t quite clear, with boards spanning each stool, to either dry out or be put on show. Meanwhile, the surf was small, windy, and busy. Surfers sat shoulder to shoulder in straight 1-2ft cross-shore surf, while a handful of more experienced boardriders battled it out next to a clump of tetrapods (large, three-dimensional blocks cast from concrete). This artificial point offered the best wave, though not enough to keep me entertained beyond a few waves before trying the lesser quality beach. Outside temperatures were warm and humid but the water chilly, likely around 15°C.

Tetrapod Point

This initial surf was great to blow away the cobwebs from the flight the day before, though the target of the trip was the more regional island of Kyushu to the south.

Being angled more straight on to the Pacific Ocean, Kyushu is open to easterly trade-swells as well as more localised south and north-east fetches that sporadically come and go with passing frontal systems.

Our first surf on touch down was much more successful, with walled-up, semi-clean 2-3ft+ waves along with slightly warmer water. The surrounding scenes and sounds were surreal. 

Surfing directly next to an airport runway is never going to be natural, but as light drizzle fell across the grayed out concrete landscape, loud explosions from air cannons broke the eerie silence every few minutes, presumably to scare off birds.

From the water, huge gas storage cylinders in the shape of bulbs framed the landscape as tetrapods lined the shore. The handful of surfers were all friendly, especially after offering a greeting and we then made our way north.

Away from the city, the landscape quickly becomes rural with rice paddies making up the majority of the flat spaces, mixed with forestry on the steeper hillsides. A more soothing feeling washes over when driving through the lush, green landscapes. 

It’s also easy to get a feeling of exploration and adventure thanks to most of the coast being fairly accessible. It won’t be straightforward and you might end up in a maze of rice fields, but one advantage of all the concrete built along the shore is access to small, isolated car parks. 

Rocky rights

With the general surfing population sticking to the known breaks, anyone who’s savvy with the incoming swell direction, size, and local winds can find long stretches of empty, fun peaks. This was the case more often than not on our trip, making it all the more rewarding when venturing down tight, overgrown dirt tracks.

In between swell pulses we found time to get away to the mountains. Within an hour's drive of the coast is steep, stunning countryside. Maples blend with pine and cedar to create a collage of green, while deep gorges roared from tropical rains a couple of days earlier. Clean air left the higher reaches gin-clear.

The basalt geology seen along the coastline transitioned in one unique zone to a sheer, granite monolith. Such was the contrast of the landscape, along with the absence of any noticeable human footprint, that I’d have to say it was one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever experienced.

Arriving back at the coast for a late surf, we were greeted by glassy, 2ft+ waves with not a soul to be seen in the water. I had a quick session before heading off for a much deserved feed.

Just a quick tangent regarding the cuisine. It’s delicious, wildly varied, and relatively cheap. Expect prices to be one-third to half those of Australia. There’s sushi, sashimi, ramen, noodles, tempura, chicken, pork and any variety of vegetable you can think of. Restaurants are mostly open late, well past sunset, so there’s no rush to race to get a feed in before closing time. You’ll be more than content after spending $15-20 AUD for dinner, $30 including a beer. One small issue was the amount of plastic used, from wrapping banana bunches, to individual chocolates already inside a package. While Japan's PET recycling system is one of the best in the world, the prolific use of softer plastics is startling.

Back to the surf, and with a good size, mid-period E/NE swell on the forecast under light winds, I had my eye on a few locations for the following days. The first a beachbreak setup that performed much like any other East Coast Australian beach, turning the oblique angled sets into fast running lefts with the odd, shorter, sharper right. I had a beautiful solo surf with hardly anyone in sight; one of many on this quiet, laid-back coast.

With one final day of surfing left in the trip, we headed south to the more rocky, fickle breaks. The setup is much like the Great Ocean Road, with the highway hugging the coast, giving plenty of glimpses at possible setups while rounding each corner.

I had a left in mind and after scoping a couple of almost-rights, we arrived just as the sun dropped below the mountains. The bay was empty with what looked to be some OK waves with a light onshore crumble. Then a set pushed in, bowling out along a rocky bay. It looked 3-4ft but on entering the water and reaching the take-off it was more 4-5ft. The wave had power and shape, hitting various ledges while bowling down the line. It was the second solo surf for the day, though only for thirty or so minutes before darkness enveloped the coastline.

The rocky point was much cleaner the following day

Getting in on a fast rising tide with no keyhole and surging swell lines into the tetrapod-laced bay was the trickiest part of the whole surf, negotiated with a bit of luck just before losing all light.

We pushed further south the next day, aiming for a beachy to soak up the easing swell. The landscape was a contrast between country Hawaii and the Thailand's island coasts, with the sand also taking on a more golden complexion. The local surfers ripped and were the best witnessed on the whole trip, more than welcoming and stoked to see a gaijin surfing amongst them.

May isn’t a classic time of year to chase surf across Japan, but with the right quiver and expectations, there are waves a plenty to discover, not forgetting the local cuisine and culture.