Best Time to Surf Japan
The best time to surf Japan is April to October: that is when the most breaks are at their best — 3 of the 3 Japan breaks we map at the peak.
Last updated · Counted from the surf breaks we map — each break's own season, level and wave type
Surf in Japan month by month
How many of the 3 breaks we map in Japan are at their best in each month, and which ones. The busiest months are highlighted.
January
0 at their best · 0 in season
February
0 at their best · 0 in season
March
0 at their best · 0 in season
April
3 at their best · 3 in season
May
3 at their best · 3 in season
June
3 at their best · 3 in season
July
3 at their best · 3 in season
August
3 at their best · 3 in season
September
3 at their best · 3 in season
October
3 at their best · 3 in season
November
0 at their best · 0 in season
December
0 at their best · 0 in season
Lefts, rights and peaks in Japan
Every break we map here, by what the wave breaks over and which way it peels — a left peels to the surfer's left as they ride towards the beach.
| Break type | Lefts | Rights | Both ways / A-frames |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach | — | — | Kugenuma, Tsurigasaki, Kisakihama |
Season at every Japan break
Each break's stated season, with its best months filled in.
- Kisakihama
- Wave
- Beach break · A-frame peaks (lefts and rights)
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- April to October (dry-season swells)
- Tide
- All tides; sandbar-dependent
- Watch out
- Rip currents form between the sandbars — always check conditions before paddling out.
- Kugenuma
- Wave
- Beach break · A-frame peaks (lefts and rights)
- Level
- Beginner
- Season
- April to October (dry-season swells)
- Tide
- All tides; sandbar-dependent
- Watch out
- Rip currents form between the sandbars — always check conditions before paddling out.
- Tsurigasaki
- Wave
- Beach break · A-frame peaks (lefts and rights)
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- April to October (dry-season swells)
- Tide
- All tides; sandbar-dependent
- Watch out
- Rip currents form between the sandbars — always check conditions before paddling out.
Surf spots in Japan by level
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to surf Japan?
The best time to surf Japan is April to October: that is when the most breaks are at their best — 3 of the 3 Japan breaks we map at the peak.
Can you surf Japan all year round?
Not every month. None of the 3 breaks we map in Japan lists November to March in its season.