Snorkeling in Chiba near Tokyo

Snorkeling in Chiba near Tokyo

Of course, Okinawa will always be Japan’s no 1 spot for some awesome snorkeling and diving. But we live in Tokyo, so going to the southernmost islands of Japan requires a flight and overnight stay which is not always possible when you get the itch to go swimming in the ocean. The ocean near Tokyo isn’t clear enough to make snorkeling an enjoyable experience, so we decided to try snorkeling in Chiba near Tokyo and it was surprisingly good! This was our experience.

Snorkeling in Chiba

Last weekend, at 25 degrees Celsius it was still unseasonably warm for October so I wanted to have one last summer hurrah. So I decided to go snorkeling with my husband and 9-year old. The caveat is that we live in central Tokyo, and we didn’t feel like traveling all the way to southern Izu to go to Hirizo Beach which is gorgeous but far. I researched a bit before we decided on a place, and there were some reports in Japanese from people who went to neighboring prefecture Chiba to go snorkeling.

While Chiba is more known for boasting awesome surfing spots, there are also a few snorkeling-friendly destinations in the prefecture. Moriya Beach also made it to the shortlist, but this time we decided to go to Okinoshima (沖ノ島) in Tateyama.

Getting to Okinoshima

We rented a car through the Times Cars sharing system, and used the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line tunnel to get to Tateyama. Many people stop at the observation platform of the Aqua Line for the nice views of Tokyo Bay. There are also many shops and restaurants there, and it became an attraction in its own right.

I will admit that it wasn’t a cheap trip as tolls were around 6000 yen one-way because we didn’t want to take the slower local roads. Because of some congestion in the tunnel the trip there took us around 2.5 hours. It seems to be hard to reach Okinoshima by public transportation, so renting a car is probably still the best option for most. Otherwise, you can go to Tateyama Station by train and go to Okinoshima by taxi.

Snorkeling Information Okinoshima

Parking was easy, free, and right next to the beach. We brought our own gear so there was no need to look for a rental shop in the village. The tide was not high and not low at the time we came, and the water was not cold at all as October has some of the highest water temperatures of the year. There wasn’t too much wind so the water was rather calm without much current. Visibility was around 5 m in most spots. We only wore rash guards, no wet suits were necessary. The depth around the interesting spots varied between 50 cm to 3 m, and most of the geography was sandy bottom and rock plateaus on the side.

Looking in the direction of the peninsula-type small island, we entered the water on the left side of the sand bar beach. We mainly stuck close to the coast, as the most interesting animals and geography could be seen there.

Beautiful Snorkeling in Chiba

The experience was really nice, and we ended up staying in the water for around 1.5 hours. We were marveling at the many colorful fish, many of which look very similar to the ones in Okinawa. There were nice rock plateau formations under water, and most of the fish were swimming around here. Most of the fish were pretty small, but we saw some larger fish too. The largest fish we saw looked a bit like a shark and was around 70 cm long! The cutest fish was a box fugu, or blowfish. On the rocks, we also found some pretty shrimps with very long antennae. There was some coral as well, both hard and soft corals.

We saw many starfish, and the most exciting thing we saw were a few very large octopuses! They were a bit scared of us and changed their color to resemble their surroundings, but they were so fun to observe.  It is also cool to look around you above the water sometimes, as the geography of the little island itself is quite interesting and beautiful.

All in all, we definitely got our desired fix of snorkeling, and I recommend anyone who is traveling to southern Chiba between spring and late autumn to go snorkeling in Okinoshima.

2025 additions: Beaches and Snorkeling near Tokyo

While Tokyo is not necessarily known as a beach destination, if you are here in the warmer months it can be nice to add a beach day to your program for some much-needed refreshment and some beautiful underwater life if you go to the right area. We love going to the beach and snorkeling as much as many tourists hailing from cooler climates, so we checked out some beaches for you to make it easier to decide which spot you want to include in your Tokyo itinerary!

Isshiki Beach near Kamakura (mid-June)

In the second weekend of June we went to Isshiki Beach near the historical town of Kamakura to check out the conditions, and here is what we learned:

-> if you go by (rental) car, make sure to arrive early enough to get a parking spot near the beach. There is a parking lot right next to the north side of the beach but it fills up by 11 AM. The drive is between 1-2 hours from central Tokyo depending on traffic conditions. It takes around 1.5 hours by train

-> there are no life guards on duty in mid-June, but there is a cordoned off area that is safe for swimming and free of boats etc.

-> as mid-June is not in-season yet, you have to bring your own umbrella or tent, in July and August there should be rentals available in the temporary beach pavilions

-> it was a very good beach for swimming and using flotation devices, we also tried some snorkeling but there was not much to see. The water was clear enough to see to the bottom around up to 8 meters below but there were not many fish or any corals visible in the cordoned off swimming area

-> if the weather is clear enough, you can see Mt Fuji from this beach

-> there is a restaurant in the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art right next to the beach with a nice view of the museum’s garden and the ocean

-> we didn’t find a shower, so we washed ourselves with bottled water on the beach once we were done

Nabetahama Beach in Shimoda (early July)

In the first week of July we really wanted to get some beautiful snorkeling in so we went to Nabetahama Beach, a hidden gem around 5 km away from the much more famous Shirahama Beach. Because Shirahama Beach has stronger waves we decided to try Nabetahama for snorkeling and that was a good decision! Here is what we learned:

-> there is a direct train called the Odoriko Line from Tokyo Station to Izukyu Shimoda Station, it costs around 6000 yen one-way and takes a bit less than 3 hours to get you there

-> for optimal convenience, take a taxi from Izukyu Shimoda Station to Nabetahama Beach. It only costs around 1000 yen and takes 10 minutes

-> this is an off the beaten path beach without life guards or beach pavilions even in the high season, so you need to prepare accordingly and bring your own umbrella/sun protection

-> there is a small restaurant right next to the beach, and there are toilets and (very important) showers on the beach

-> bring your own snorkeling gear (or buy it near Izukyu Shimoda Station before you head to the beach) as you don’t want to miss snorkeling here!

-> we were impressed by the blue/green water, calm water and beautiful sea life here. There are a few small boats coming and going but it didn’t bother us, there were other people snorkeling as well

-> we saw many subtropical fish and even some quite large rays, most of the sea life is around the rocks in the area on the left-hand side of the beach

-> if you do this as a day trip, be sure to check the train schedule ahead of time as fast service to Tokyo ends a bit early. Staying the night is a good way to enjoy the area to the max