Guide · Wild and Trek
Japan's beaches by region: when they open and what to know
Kamakura and Fujisawa open 1 July, Shimoda 18 July, Okinawa from March. These are 2026 dates; 2027 is not published. In Okinawa, swim inside the jellyfish nets.
The mainland beaches listed here ran from July to mid-September at most, while Okinawa’s open from March and swim to about the end of October. In 2026 Kamakura’s ran 1 July to 31 August, Fujisawa’s ran from 1 or 18 July to between 31 August and 13 September, and Shimoda’s three dated beaches ran from 18 July to between 23 and 30 August. The 2027 dates are not published yet, so every date below is last known (2026).
How do the seasons compare?
Okinawa’s Kariyushi and Emerald stayed open 241 and 214 days in 2026, against 37 to 75 days for the mainland beaches in the table. The days are counted from each beach’s published open and close dates; they are our arithmetic, not a published figure.
| Beach | Days open (2026) |
|---|---|
| Kariyushi, Okinawa | 241 |
| Emerald, Okinawa | 214 |
| Katase Nishihama, Fujisawa | 75 |
| Yuigahama, Kamakura | 62 |
| Shirahama Chuo, Shimoda | 44 |
| Irita, Shimoda | 37 |
Which beaches are open in each month?
Only Okinawa has swim dates before July. The table lists what the 2026 dates show for each stretch of the year.
| Months | What was open in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Mar and Apr | Okinawa openings from 5 Mar (Kariyushi) to 18 Apr (Ginowan Tropical) |
| May and June | Okinawa (Kariyushi and Emerald have full dates) |
| July and August | All four areas |
| September | Fujisawa: Katase Higashihama to 6 Sep, Katase Nishihama and Kugenuma to 13 Sep; Okinawa |
| October | Okinawa: Kariyushi and Emerald, to 31 Oct |
| Nov to Feb | No 2026 swim dates found for any area here |
Who publishes the dates?
Each city publishes its own dates: Kamakura City, Fujisawa City and Shimoda City for the mainland beaches, and Okinawa Tourism (OCVB) for Okinawa. Dates and hours differ by beach and change by year, so look for the same pages for 2027.
Where hours were found, swimming ran eight hours: 9:00 to 17:00 on Kamakura’s beaches and 8:00 to 16:00 at Shirahama Chuo, so plan to arrive in the morning. Hours for the other beaches were not found.
Kamakura and Fujisawa (Shonan): the July to early September beaches
Kamakura’s three beaches ran 1 July to 31 August in 2026, from 9:00 to 17:00. Fujisawa held its opening ceremony on 1 July, and Katase Nishihama and Kugenuma stayed open longest, to 13 September.
| Beach | Area | Last known (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Yuigahama | Kamakura | 1 Jul to 31 Aug, 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Zaimokuza | Kamakura | 1 Jul to 31 Aug, 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Koshigoe | Kamakura | 1 Jul to 31 Aug, 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Katase Higashihama | Fujisawa | 1 Jul to 6 Sep |
| Katase Nishihama | Fujisawa | 1 Jul to 13 Sep |
| Kugenuma | Fujisawa | 1 Jul to 13 Sep |
| Tsujido | Fujisawa | 18 Jul to 31 Aug |
For the first half of September, only Fujisawa’s Katase and Kugenuma beaches had swim dates among the mainland beaches listed here. Tsujido opened 17 days after the other Fujisawa beaches.
Shimoda (Izu): what opens on 18 July?
Nine Shimoda beaches opened on 18 July 2026. Shirahama Chuo ran to 30 August with the longest hours, 8:00 to 16:00, and Irita and Tatado ran to 23 August.
| Beach | Last known (2026) |
|---|---|
| Shirahama Chuo | 18 Jul to 30 Aug, 8:00 to 16:00 |
| Irita | 18 Jul to 23 Aug |
| Tatado | 18 Jul to 23 Aug |
Dates for the other six Shimoda beaches were not found.
Okinawa: which beaches open first?
Okinawa’s 2026 openings fell between 5 March and 18 April, and swimming runs to about the end of October. Kariyushi in Nago ran 5 March to 31 October and Emerald in Motobu ran 1 April to 31 October. The other beaches list an opening date only.
| Beach | Area | 2026 date |
|---|---|---|
| Kariyushi | Nago | 5 Mar to 31 Oct |
| Emerald | Motobu | 1 Apr to 31 Oct |
| Manza | Onna | Opened 14 Mar |
| Maezato | Ishigaki | Opened 14 Mar |
| Naha Naminoue | Naha | Opened 5 Apr |
| Yonaha Maehama | Miyako | Opened 5 Apr |
| Ginowan Tropical | Ginowan | Opened 18 Apr |
| Minna-nu-hama | Not stated | 1 Jul to 30 Sep |
Minna-nu-hama lists a swim period rather than an opening day. Region planning, ferries and seasons are in the Okinawa travel guide.
Is it safe to swim in Okinawa?
Swim only inside the box jellyfish nets. A July 2026 Okinawa tourism notice calls swimming without nets very dangerous and says stings and man-o’-war emergency transports are frequent. Okinawa Prefecture updated its English safety video in June 2026.
The 2026 advisory period is not confirmed. In 2025 it ran 1 June to 30 September, so treat that as last known and check the prefecture’s page for your dates.
First-aid advice comes from a news report (secondary) citing the prefecture: pour vinegar over a box jellyfish sting, remove tentacles and cool the skin without scratching. Vinegar is wrong for some other jellyfish, such as the Portuguese man o’ war.
Safety Wear a rash guard and leggings in the water. At sea, call 118 for the Coast Guard; for an ambulance, call 119.
Are tattoos allowed at beaches?
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) says tattoo policy is set per facility. Ask each facility you plan to use before you go. For baths, see Can you go in an onsen with a tattoo in Japan?
No beach-specific tattoo rule from a city or prefecture is published for the areas on this page.
What do the sources not cover?
Two gaps remain: typhoon timing and Ishigaki’s beaches.
- Typhoon timing: no monthly average was found. JMA publishes typhoon approach statistics, but monthly figures were not read, so none are given.
- Ishigaki beaches: Maezato’s opening date is above. No municipal page was found for Sunset Beach or Kabira, and no lifeguard hours, rip-current advice or flag system. One operator listing says swimming is not allowed in Kabira Bay itself; no municipal page confirms it.
Before you book Look up the city or tourism page for your beach once the 2027 dates appear.
Where next?
The Wild and Trek guide puts beaches next to volcanoes, whales and hiking, and the Wild and Trek hub lists every page. For Okinawa in winter, see Whale watching in Japan, month by month. For reef and ocean trips, see Diving in Japan by region and month, and for volcano access and gas rules, Visiting active volcanoes in Japan.
Questions
In 2026, Kamakura's Yuigahama, Zaimokuza and Koshigoe ran 1 July to 31 August, 9:00 to 17:00. Fujisawa's beaches opened 1 July, except Tsujido on 18 July, and closed between 31 August and 13 September. 2027 dates are not published yet.
Do not. A 2026 Okinawa tourism notice calls swimming without box jellyfish nets very dangerous. The 2026 advisory period is not confirmed; in 2025 it ran 1 June to 30 September.
It depends on the facility. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) says policy is set per facility, so ask each facility you plan to use before you go.
On 18 July in 2026, when nine Shimoda beaches opened. Shirahama Chuo ran to 30 August, 8:00 to 16:00, and Irita and Tatado to 23 August. 2027 dates are not published yet.