Rediscovering surfing at Chiba’s Onjuku Beach

If you’re a water baby like myself, then water sports are far more appealing than snow adventures. Now that it’s mid-June and summer has once again made an appearance, I still have memories of Japan’s August humidity, so I decided to head to the beach while the weather was still relatively cool.

Chiba Prefecture is only an hour or so away from Tokyo, and Onjuku Beach, famed for its history of abalone and lobster fishing by topless ama (divers) women, is a beautiful sweeping bay, great for surfing.

The small town of Onjuku has everything you need to escape from city life — breathtaking views, out-of-city serenity, delicious local seafood, and an amazing beach. But for this trip, the main purpose of my visit was surfing.

Bar a brief stint in the cold-and-choppy winter coastal waters of England, I haven’t been surfing for many years. But, apart from the sudden realization that I had, indeed, “forgotten” to achieve a beach-ready body, I had no concerns this time.

Together with a few fellow adventurers, in early June I stayed at Flying Sumo Surf Co., an unassuming container-like surf school, just minutes from the main beach area. I had booked two-hour lessons for both Saturday and Sunday. Prices (¥6,000 to ¥8,000) are similar to skiing, except this includes a board, wetsuit and instruction, so bang for your buck!

Click here to read more.

• External Link
• https://savvytokyo.com/

© Savvy Tokyo