Chiba Prefecture Surfing

The Land of the Rising Sun is made up of four major islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and a thousand lesser islands, split between the influence of the warm Kuroshio and the cold Oyashio currents. Although the main island of Honshu gets occasional surf from NW wind swells coming off the Sea of Japan, most of the more consistent spots are those exposed to the late summer typhoon swells, or short lived NE groundswells. The long tradition of fishing has had a negative influence on surfing, with harbours and tetrapods built in many of the areas that catch the best swells. Surfing is now a well-established sport that has been growing in popularity since WW II. Kanagawa, Ibaraki and Shizuoka areas all have some good spots but the most popular surf zone for Tokyo-based surfers is the Chiba peninsula, a mere 30min drive from the city.