The Tama River, which supplies water to Tokyo, is known for its high quality and stable water quantity throughout the year. An activity you can enjoy here is rafting. Additionally, going to see the beautiful greenery in March and fall foliage in November is highly recommended. Tours that allow you to enjoy nature in Tokyo’s small town of Okutama fully are available year-round.

We especially recommend the six-person rafting tour that takes you down the Tama River. This tour is five kilometers long and lasts about two hours. Participants are asked to assemble at a facility on the river located a three-minute walk from JR’s Mitake Station.

It takes about an hour and a half to two hours once on the JR Line from central Tokyo. Being able to get to the river from the station quickly makes it a very attractive destination!

The standard rafting tours available include the AM tour (from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and the PM tour (from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Anyone over middle school age and in good health can join! (Middle-schoolers must have a parent present.)

All of the tour guides are lifeguards that belong to the Ontake Lifesavers Committee. Moreover, the tour leaders have over ten years of experience, so that you can participate with peace of mind. All tours have at least two guides each.

If you choose the AM course, you will be asked to assemble at 9:30 a.m. to learn the basic movements and take a safety lecture. At 10:30 a.m., you’ll start going down the river.

On your way down, you can enjoy attractions at every turn! Finally, you’ll reach the end of the rafting course at around 12:00 p.m. From here, a car will take you back to the riverfront cabin. The tour comes to an end at 12:30 p.m.

Furthermore, this tour offers other attractive services you won't want to miss. This includes getting a free photo of yourself on the tour, free usage of the showers, free usage of the open bath on cold days, and free mugs of home-roasted coffee. After the tour, you can relax on a wooden terrace overlooking the Tama River.

Although there are no special services available, foreign guests are welcome.

Health & Safety Measures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of shop and facilities/Sanitizer installed/Disinfected after each guest leaves/Ventilation measures in place/Coin trays used/Plastic partitions installed/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Limited capacity/increased space between seats/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced.

Enjoy being carried by the gentle waves of a calm sea with SUP (Stand Up Paddle). This is an activity in which you stand on a large surfboard and paddle to move. It can be enjoyed at a facility directly managed by a brand called Ka wai SUP Club. Located in Chiba Prefecture’s Inage Ward, it takes place on Tokyo Bay.

Another reason why this destination is so popular is because it can be easily accessed from Tokyo Station on the JR Line. From Tokyo, it takes approximately one hour to get to Inagekaigan Station.

The charm of SUP is that beginners can easily learn how to ride in a matter of hours. The simple and easy nature of this activity enables you to enjoy it in many ways.

Trial classes are held two times a day. The first class is in the morning from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and the second class is in the afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Participants are asked to gather at the parking lot of Inagekaigan’s Kemigawa Beach (the beach with a yacht harbor). It’s a mere ten-minute walk from Inagekaigan Station on the JR Line. (2 Chome -8-1 Isobe, Mihama Ward, Chiba Prefecture).

Firstly, instructors will explain the names of the equipment used, how to handle them, and how to paddle. After warming up, you’ll head out to sea. The boards are surprisingly light, so most people have no trouble holding them on their own. The first step is to sit on the surfboard.

Once you get used to the floating board’s movements, you can start to paddle. With the instructor helping you stand on the surfboard; you’ll get the hang of it in no time! There’s also some free time towards the end of the class. This is when you can go over what you learned or have competitions with your friends. These classes are where you can experience the real charm of SUP!

Classes are also open to foreign guests, and there are English staff available.

Health & Safety Measures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of shop and facilities/Sanitizer installed/Disinfected after each guest leaves/Ventilation measures in place/Coin trays used/Plastic partitions installed/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Limited capacity/increased space between seats/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required

Facing the Pacific Ocean, Chiba Prefecture’s Katsuura lies on the south-eastern side of the Boso Peninsula.

You can access this area by taking a rapid express train from JR’s Tokyo Station. This takes roughly an hour and a half.

Once at Katsuura’s beaches, you can enjoy snorkeling! Scuba diving requires you to wear an oxygen tank when diving in the water. However, with snorkeling, you only need the three items of a snorkel, a mask (underwater goggles), and flippers. This is a fun and easy activity that enables you to explore the ocean from the water’s surface.

From children to seniors, as long as you're healthy, snorkeling is an activity that anyone can enjoy! Wearing a wetsuit and gear helps to keep inexperienced swimmers at ease. If you want to take extra precautions, floaties are also available.

Diving Shop Kamehausu offers a three-hour-long snorkeling package. Participants are asked to assemble at the Katsuura Diving Resort (937 Ubara, Katsuura City). Those taking the train can take a free shuttle bus from Ubara Station on the Sotobo Line.

The meeting time is at 9:00 a.m., and preparation begins at 9:30 a.m. All participants will be taken to the beach at 10:00 a.m. By 11:30 a.m., you’ll be asked to leave the water to shower and change. Everything is scheduled so that the tour ends at 12:00 p.m.

Diving Shop Kamehausu's tour doesn’t take you to snorkeling spots using a boat. It starts you off at shallow waters where your feet still touch the ocean floor. You are able to practice here first before making your way to areas that are slightly deeper. Even the deepest area is three meters deep, so there will still be places where you can stand.

With inexperienced swimmers being able to choose to stay and enjoy the shallow waters, it’s a completely safe way to snorkel. These areas also have many creatures to see and places to explore.

Although this tour welcomes foreign guests, please keep in mind that there will not be any fluent speakers of foreign languages. In the case that you decide to book a tour, please be able to speak basic Japanese, bring a translation device, or have an interpreter accompany you.

◎Health & Safety Measures
Ventilation measures in place/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Limited capacity/increased space between seats/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced
Additionally, guidelines mandatory for diving facilities are followed.

▼Recommended hotels nearby

On the north-western edge of Miura Peninsula facing the Sagami Bay is Kanagawa Prefecture’s Zushi beach. It takes approximately an hour to get to Zushi Station when traveling from Tokyo Station on the JR Line.

At Zushi beach, you can experience windsurfing. With necessary equipment, including a surfboard and a sail, this is a marine sport that uses the wind to glide on the water’s surface.

Marine Blue Windsurfing & SUP School has beginner classes that anyone can enjoy. Professional instructors with lots of experience will teach you all the basics. No matter your age or gender, the instructors will determine your level based on your physical ability.

For beginner courses, you can either take one class in the morning or get the full-day package deal that includes two classes. If you’ve only signed up for the morning class and decide you want to continue, you can sign up for the afternoon class the day of.

Participants are asked to assemble by 10:00 a.m. After the initial preparations, the class will begin at 10:30 a.m. Here you will learn how to set up your equipment as well as basic information on how to maneuver the sail and surfboard. Finally, after you’ve practiced a couple of times on land, you can enter the water at around 11:30 a.m.

Beginners will start by warming up in shallow waters. With the support of an instructor, you will then learn the basics of sailing. For those who’ve booked only the morning class, the class will end at 12:30 p.m. The second class begins at 12:40 p.m. Once you’ve mastered the basics you learned in the morning class, you will be able to sail freely on the ocean’s waters. The full-day course ends at 2:00 p.m.

Foreign guests are also welcome.

◎Health & Safety Measures
Ventilation measures in place/Coin trays used/Plastic partitions installed/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Limited capacity/increased space between seats/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced

Chigasaki City has many beaches that are popular in the Kanto area. Moreover, it’s one of the representative cities of Shonan, a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture. It’s also known for being the hometown of the famous Japanese rock band, the Southern All Stars.

Located in the middle of Shonan, you can access Chigasaki by taking the train from JR’s Tokyo Station to Chigasaki Station. With no transfers needed, it takes approximately an hour.

If you head south from the station, you will end up at Hosoii Surf & Sports found along Yuzo Street. If you walk ten minutes further to the eastern coast, you will find a facility that holds trial classes for activities you can enjoy on the beach. This includes surfing, SUP, SUP fishing, SUP yoga, and an activity you can enjoy with your dog called DogSUP.

Out of these many activities, we will introduce SUP fishing. This is when you get on a large surfboard and paddle out to sea to enjoy fishing. It’s an extremely popular activity. So much so that it was acknowledged by Chigasaki City’s original brand, ChoiceCHIGASAKI.

Using a surfboard enables you to fish from places that you couldn’t normally access on land. Another attractive quality is that you can move to good fishing spots by checking the movement of the tide. Furthermore, you can enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding land. If the weather’s good, you might even get a view of Mt. Fuji!

Instructors who are familiar with the waters and are experienced fishers will give you tips based on the tide as well as the overall movements of the ocean.

Foreign guests are welcome but please keep in mind that there are no special services available.

Health & Safety Measures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of shop and facilities/Sanitizer installed/Ventilation measures in place/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced

Reserved Cruise is a cruise line that offers many deals in the Tokyo and Yokohama area. There are several ways to get to their pier in Yokohama, but they all take approximately an hour from the city. Here we will introduce our recommended cruise packages. These include two package deals for shared cruises and one for private cruises.

The Red Brick Cafe Cruise is a 45-minute cruise that leaves from Yokohama’s Red Brick Warehouse Pier. Divided into morning cruises and nighttime cruises, five ships leave throughout the day. The cruises enable you to enjoy wonderful views of Yokohama from the ocean. It also takes you to seven different locations that are great for taking photos.

The Fantastic Cafe Ship is a 60-minute nighttime cruise that leaves once every weekend. Making a wish on this cruise supposedly brings good fortune. Taking you around spots said to bring happiness, fantastic views of the Yokohama Three Towers, the sparkling blue Yokohama Bay Bridge, and the Statue of Michibiki can be seen.

The Champagne Cruise is a charter cruise where you’ll enjoy the ride as much as you’ll enjoy the views of Yokohama’s port. This package deal gives you the choice of leaving from three piers in Minatomirai, a seaside urban area of Yokohama.

Additionally, the fact that you can enjoy free-flow glasses of champagne in a private setting makes this cruise all the more attractive. The price is especially reasonable during weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (60 minutes, 5 people or more). Here you can enjoy views from the ocean in the middle of Yokohama Port. Some of them include Minatomirai, Shinko Pier Cruise Terminal, where the Red Brick Warehouse is located, Osanbashi Pier, and Yamashita Park.

Please open the English site English guide（QR code reader） for more information.

◎Health & Safety Measures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of shop and facilities/Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves/Ventilation measures in place/Coin trays used/Plastic partitions installed/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Limited capacity/increased space between seats/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced

▼Recommended hotels nearby

The Tokyo Marine Sports Center acts as a marina along the Edo River. It takes approximately 30 minutes from JR’s Tokyo Station to get to the closest station called Moto-Yawata Station. From here, it’s a 20-minute walk, or you can also take a ten-minute bus ride. At this facility, there are many marine activities all ages can enjoy for the whole day.

Out of these, we will be introducing flyboarding. This uses a watercraft’s water pressure to propel you into the air. Reception starts at 10:30 a.m., and new guests are admitted every hour. After a lecture on the safety procedures and class schedule, you can try riding one independently.

The watercraft can be propelled up to nine meters in the air, but just standing can be a challenge initially. However, after a couple of tries, you’ll start to get the hang of it and have fun! The unique feeling of floating has to be experienced to understand fully. Participants must be ten years old or older to ride.

There are also other activities you can try! There’s the pogo-stick on the water called an aquaskipper, or zorb balls which enable you to walk on water by getting into a large transparent ball. Riding a banana boat and getting pulled by a jet ski is also a popular activity.

What’s more, if you’re a party of two, you can get a discount by signing up for the pair package. There’s also the family package which gives you a discount on three different activities. Getting such deals when traveling is an awesome perk!

Foreign guests are welcome, but please keep in mind that there will not be any staff fluent in foreign languages. Please be able to speak basic Japanese or have an interpreter that can accompany you.

◎Health & Safety Measures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of shop and facilities/Sanitizer installed/Disinfected after each guest leaves/Ventilation measures in place/Coin trays used/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Limited capacity/increased space between seats/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced

Hayama Town is a resort destination located in Kanagawa Prefecture, where many vacation homes can be found. With its west side facing the Sagami Bay, it lies on the north-western side of the Miura Peninsula. To get to Hayama Diving Service, we recommend taking an hour-long train ride from JR’s Tokyo Station to Zushi Station.

Once at the station, you can take a 15-minute bus ride to the facility. The diving center is located a mere two-minute walk away from Shibasaki’s beach. This area has been designated as a natural reserve by the prefecture. It’s a famous spot for both diving and snorkeling.

Diving is a marine sport where you strap on an oxygen tank to explore the ocean. Hayama Diving Service’s diving classes are available year-round. Approximately 1,000 students join throughout the year, and staff who have dived more than 10,000 times are available to guide you gently.

All you need to bring is a bathing suit, sandals, and a towel. Once you put on a wetsuit over your bathing suit, you can set up the equipment and put on your oxygen tank. Now you’re ready for the ocean!

The deepest you’ll go is about ten meters. Here you get to relish in the true pleasure of looking at and swimming with beautiful fish found on the ocean’s floor. Moreover, you get to enjoy a zero-gravity, floating feeling similar to as if you were walking in space.

There is an English and Chinese version of the website,
(English version,Chinese version), so you can reserve the package you want without any trouble.

◎Health & Safety Measures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of shop and facilities/Sanitizer installed/Disinfected after each guest leaves/Ventilation measures in place/Coin trays used/Plastic partitions installed/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Limited capacity/increased space between seats/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced

Facing Sagami Bay, Koajiro is a naturally abundant area on the southern end of the Miura Peninsula. If you’re traveling from Tokyo, it takes approximately an hour and a half from Shinagawa Station on the Keikyu Main Line’s limited express train. Once at Misakiguchi Station, you can take a bus for 15-minutes.

However, you can also choose to rent an electric bike instead. This is recommended for those who arrive during very crowded and traffic-heavy summer afternoons.

From Misakiguchi Station, it takes about 20 minutes to get to the Aburatsubo inlet. Please keep in mind that even rental bikes must be reserved in advance during busy summer seasons. This is also true if you decide to take a car. During the summer, parking lots become full as early as 9:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays.

Our recommendation is KOAJIRO SUP Tours’ Koajiro Bay Ishu SUP Tour (more than two adults are required to join). This tour takes you around the bay, and it’s not easily affected by the wind or tide, so that beginners can join with ease. At the far end of the bay, you will find Koajiro’s forest.

This area’s water is calm as a lake. In addition to an abundant forest, there are also mudflats to enjoy. It’s especially recommended for those who want to try SUP yoga. (SUP yoga events are held irregularly, so please check the official website for details.)

There’s also a tour for beginner-level participants where you can enjoy the beautiful views of Koajiro Bay. While on the surfboard, you can experience the rapid changes of the sun’s position in the sky as well as the color of the ocean’s water. If the weather is good, you might even see a silhouette of Mt. Fuji.

The Big SUP Charter Plan is great for families and groups who want their own boat. One trip fits up to six passengers!

There aren’t any special services for foreign guests, but many have enjoyed this tour in the past.

◎Health & Safety Measures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of shop and facilities/Sanitizer installed/Ventilation measures in place/Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature/Restricted admission, reservation system in place/Entry declined to anyone who is feeling unwell/Masks required/temperature check enforced

Only two hours by train from central Tokyo, there are several facilities where you can enjoy water sports in the metropolitan area. Even if you plan to go just for the day, these areas are effortless to access.

Nothing is stopping you from going as many times as you like!

Please check the official websites to look into the activities you are interested in. If you reserve an activity online or book several activities at once, you may be able to get great deals and discounts!

All of these outdoor spots in Japan enable you to social distance while enjoying different views of the season. Please check them out!

*The information in this article is from July 2021. For updated information, please check the official websites listed.