Chiba – Ichinomiya
Ichinomiya, Chiba, Japan
Sports: Surfing
Best time to go: August–November
Ichinomiya is a small town on the Kujūkuri coast of Chiba Prefecture, on Japan's Pacific side about 90 minutes from Tokyo. Its Tsurigasaki beach, the venue for the first Olympic surfing contest in 2021, and the neighbouring Shidashita area offer a series of sandy beach breaks with lefts and rights. The coast faces east and picks up swell from the Pacific in most seasons.
Late summer and autumn are usually best, when typhoon and low-pressure swells arrive and westerly winds blow offshore; winter also brings good swell with north-westerly winds but cold water. The banks change with storms, so the best peaks move along the beach. Rip currents are common, especially beside the groynes and on bigger days. The line-ups are busy at weekends with surfers from Tokyo, so weekdays are calmer and local etiquette matters. The water is warm in late summer but drops to around 14 °C in winter, when a 5/4 wetsuit is needed. Typhoon swells can be large and dangerous; check local rules and beach flags.
Month by month at Chiba – Ichinomiya
- January: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 16°C, air 10°C (nights 2°C), 25 sunny days, 6 rainy days
- February: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 16°C, air 11°C (nights 3°C), 21 sunny days, 9 rainy days
- March: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 15°C, air 15°C (nights 7°C), 21 sunny days, 15 rainy days
- April: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 16°C, air 19°C (nights 12°C), 20 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- May: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 17°C, air 22°C (nights 15°C), 21 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- June: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 20°C, air 25°C (nights 19°C), 20 sunny days, 14 rainy days
- July: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 23°C, air 30°C (nights 24°C), 27 sunny days, 10 rainy days
- August: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 26°C, air 30°C (nights 25°C), 28 sunny days, 14 rainy days
- September: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 25°C, air 28°C (nights 23°C), 23 sunny days, 14 rainy days
- October: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 24°C, air 22°C (nights 16°C), 19 sunny days, 14 rainy days
- November: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 21°C, air 18°C (nights 11°C), 21 sunny days, 9 rainy days
- December: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 17°C, air 13°C (nights 5°C), 25 sunny days, 6 rainy days
When is the best time to go surfing at Chiba – Ichinomiya?
August–November, the known surf season (when the swell direction and winds suit this spot).
How warm is the water at Chiba – Ichinomiya?
15°C to 26°C over the year: boardshorts, no wetsuit needed in the warmest month, a 5/4 with boots in the coolest.
How windy is Chiba – Ichinomiya?
About 16 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in March.
Figures from 4 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
Spots near Chiba – Ichinomiya
- Zushi (75 km)
- Kamakura – Yuigahama (77 km)
More: All spots in Japan · Surfing in Japan
Compare with: Chiba – Ichinomiya vs Kamakura – Yuigahama