Beaches often provide basic facilities such as toilets, changing rooms and showers. During the warmer months, swimming, snorkeling, surfing and sunbathing are popular beach activities. At the more popular beaches, lifeguards are present, and rental shops and temporary beach huts open for business, providing more showers, changing rooms, rest areas, food and drinks.

Beaches

Japan is a long, thin island country with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Sea of Japan and East China Sea on the other. The length of the country results in an extensive coastline with lots of beaches. It also means that the climate and swimming season differ quite a bit from south to north. The best beaches for sunbathing and swimming are found in Okinawa to the south, but nice beaches exist in other regions, too.

Swimmers should be aware that strong currents and poisonous marine life, such as jellyfish, are hazards at some beaches and inform themselves with up-to-date information before entering the water. Beachgoers should also keep the beaches clean and take their trash away with them. Many beaches do not provide garbage cans. Certain beaches may have additional rules posted, such as noise restrictions after sunset or - in rare cases - prohibitions on alcohol. Nudity is generally not allowed in public, and nudist beaches are virtually inexistent.

Below is a selection of some areas where tourists can find beaches in Japan:

 

Okinawa and Amami

Subtropical Okinawa Prefecture is famous for its white sand beaches, turquoise waters and warm climate with temperatures barely falling below 15 degrees in winter and beaches that are open year round. The best time to go swimming is from around late May until October. Always beware of strong currents that can pull you out to sea and poisonous creatures such as Habu Jellyfish, a type of box jellyfish, that are most prevalent from June to October.