Tokyo Summer

Tokyo Summer
You know summer has officially hit Japanese shores when you spot the usually impecably suited sarariman carrying his coat slung over his arm, something they normally wouldn’t be caught dead doing. Then you turn around and spot the young mothers with their 2.5 families rushing to catch the train to visit the giant Mouse and all his cronies. Even if you don’t leave your house you’ll get woken up at some ungodly hour because a hoard of semi’s (cicadas) spark up into full song, all in honor of the season. After you’ve finished cursing the little blithers for destroying your idea of a Saturday sleep-in, theres nothing more to do but to make use of the day, and explore.

The Beach

Most people dream of hitting the beach at least once during summer, and hopefully get that sexy tan that’ll last them throughout the winter. It’s one thing to stand out as a foreigner, it’s a whole new ballgame if you glow like a neon light that’s trying to compete with the best in Akihabara. Unfortunately although Tokyo is a bayside Metropolis, it can take a long time to reach any of the decent beaches, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead, particularly if you live in north Tokyo. Although most of Tokyo’s beaches might not remind you of your last visit to Fiji, they are usually relatively clean and offer some good amenities, such as cafes and beer gardens. It is highly recommended that you avoid the traffic and do not drive to these places, unless you enjoy being stuck in traffic for 2-3 hours each way.

Yuigahama beach is a popular destination to head to for a number of reasons. Although it does get very crowded during peak season, the entire area offers a lot to discover. It’s counted as part of Kamakura, and if that isn’t ringing bells then I recommend reading up on Japan history. This basically means that in addition to frying your skin you can also pay respects to the numerous temples in the area and do the touristy thing and visit the Great Budda. Entrance into the compound to see the statue costs ¥800 for an adult.


The Great Buddha of Kamakura is more than 750 years old, 13 meters tall and weighs more than 90 tonnes.

Getting to Yuigahama: From Tokyo Station catch the JR Yokosuka line. It passes Yokohama prior to arriving at Kamakura. It costs ¥890 one way and will take approximately 1 hour. From Shinjuku catch the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line and then transfer at Yokohama onto the Yokosuka line. It costs the same and takes roughly the same amount of time. You can also get the “Kamakura Enoshima Free Kippu” although this would only be worthwhile if you weren’t going to the beach (because you have to catch the trains a few times to make it worth it, leaving you with no time to actually do much other than catch the trains!). For exact train timetables refer to Hyperdia.com (click on “English” at the top left) and for additional info on Kamakura beaches read here.

Enoshima beach is immensly popular, particularly amoungst the teenage crowd, so if you like crowds and people-watching then camping out on the hot black sand will be time well spent. Unfortunately due to the high traffic this does mean that gomi accumulates rather quickly, although you’ll find the Japanese are very good at picking up after themselves. The main reason for the pile-up of rubbish is actually caused by nature. Due to the outcrop of Enoshima island the tides effectively wash in all the waste from the shipping lanes as they pass into Tokyo Bay. With that lovely thought in mind the other “main” attraction in this area is Enoshima Aquarium. Admission costs ¥2,000 for adults with more info to be found here (English) and here (official site, Japanese only).

Getting to Enoshima: From Tokyo catch the JR Tokaido line (which will pass through Yokohama if that’s where you’ll be coming from) to Fujisawa before swapping across to the Enoshima Electric Rail. This will set you back ¥1,160 for a one way trip. From Shinjuku catch the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line to Fujisawa and swap to the Enoshima Electri Rail also. Again this will cost you roughly the same time and money as the first option.

Shonan is more of a district rather than one particular beach. Although there is a “Shonan Beach”, the strip of sand stretches across numerous town borders and therefore includes many other local beaches. This includes Tsujido beach, Fijisawa Beach and Chigasaki Beach. In most respects these beaches are offlimits to casual swimmers, purely for the fact that you won’t have fun getting bashed around like a rag doll. However the tide and break are perfect conditions for the avid surfer.

Getting to Shonan: From Tokyo catch the JR Tokaido line to any of the stations along the way, Fujisawa, Tsujido (although only local trains stop here) and Chigasaki. It can be a 20 minute walk from a couple of the stations to the beach, so be aware of this. The trip should cost you ¥1,160 one way. From Shinjuku catch the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line, again to any of these stations of your choice.

The Pool

So you’re not really a beach type of person? Don’t like the sand, or you prefer the taste of chlorine to salt? Whatever floats your boat, this end of town has it covered. Technically none of these places I’ve talked about even fall under Tokyo city zoning - they are all part of Kanagawa prefecture. But finding a decent beach in Tokyo would like finding the Loch Ness monster. Everyone wants to see it, but are bitterly disappointed when they dont’ find it. A lot of naysayers would suggest Odaiba beach. My response to that is to not dignify it with a response.

Oiso Long Beach is a funny name for a pool. I’m honestly not sure if that’s the name of the beach it is perpendicular to, or whether it really is part of the title. Whatever it is, this is a great place to come for a great day out with the family. I had the misfortune of visiting it recently right when Obon started - the Festival of the Dead coincides with summer holidays for school kids, so the place was jam packed. Full enough that we were unable to find a spot to set our bags down. So I would definately recommend timing this visit very very carefully. Keeping an eye on public holidays, school holidays and moon phases are crucial in this planning. Although that last choice is optional. Aside from the crowds, this is a great day out.


The view from a satelite in outer space

Oiso Long Beach actually consists of 11 different pools including diving pool, simulated wave pool, indoor, hydroslide and the main one, an oblong shaped “loop” pool. This one has a gentle current running through it to ensure the traffic keeps moving in an orderly and sedate fashion. Very relaxing if you have a lilo (glorified floating beds). A recommendation would be to come early and pre-book a poolside table and deckchairs, although at ¥4,000 they don’t come cheaply. Family areas are also available, large gazebo style spots overlooking both the pool and the nearby beach. These cost ¥10,000 a day. The pool itself is open from 9am until 6pm during summer, and an adult ticket will set you back ¥4,000. Facilities include fastfood vendors like MacDonalds, KFC and Pizza booths, as well as obligatory beer stands. Finally, connected to the main area is an indoor bowling alley and games center, although the latter has seen better days.


Oiso Long Beach on a (quiet?!) summers day

Getting to Oiso: Catch the JR Tokaido Line from Tokyo (¥1,110 one way) or the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line from Shinjuku (¥1,280 one way) until you reach Oiso station, which is 2 stops past Chigasaki station. There are two options to get to the pool from the station. The first (and cheaper) option is to catch a bus. It leaves pretty regularly during peak season and should cost about ¥200-¥300. The bus stop is just down the road and on the other side of the train station exit. Your other option of course is to catch a taxi. Unfortunately the pool is not within walking distance so this option is not recommended.