SUP in Kanagawa, Japan

[steindog]

New in Japan...just arrived from Oahu.  Anxious to get in some water time.  Prefer surf, but can do flat water.  Just need to get wet.  Let me know if interested.

[stoneaxe]

You should find some great waves off Kanagawa....

[airSUP]

there are some nice small breaks along the reef breaks at a beach know as Shichirigahama,

most of the local longboarders are tolerant to SUP, but as with everywhere - some are complete assholes .

SUP surfing is not very common in Japan, on an average summer day with surf around 1 foot you will have thousands out on longboards, and maybe about 5 SUP (I counted about 2000 surfers at a 3km stretch of beach "Shichirigahama" last summer)

my friend has a live camera on the beach here :
u6e58u5357 u4e03u91ccu30acu6d5c u30e9u30a4u30d6 u30abu30e1u30e9 u6c5fu30ceu5cf6 u938cu5009 Shichirigahama Live R134 u4e03u91cc

and another camera here:
Made In Kamakura - u4e03u91ccu30acu6d5cu30e9u30a4u30d6u30abu30e1u30e9

during typhoon season a local point called Inamuragasaki can sometimes get overhead waves, this video is August 2011
http://tinyurl.com/inamura1183

attached photo was taken on the hill above the live cameras - at 7am... and it gets more crowded during the day 

some locals and I are in the process of setting up a local SUP club with surfing and paddle events.
contact me for more info, ph: 090-6653-0557 (my Japan mobile)

[stoneaxe]

I will never complain about crowding  after that...

[spookini]

Stonie:

As someone who lived in Japan, I can give this analogy:

Japan is size of California.  But habitable landmass is actually much smaller.  You lose a lot of land due to mountains, and a TON of land is tied up in totally inefficient, govt.-subsidized agricultural use.

As a result, Japan's habitable landmass is in actuality, roughly the size of Connecticut.
The population is half the US...

So, imagine cramming half of everybody in the US, into frigging Connecticut.
Yeah.... not a whole lot of fun.

If you are accustomed to Western lifestyle -- and particularly if you enjoy the outdoors, outdoor recreation and a sense of space, Japan is a pretty miserable place to live.  Great people but the lifestyle will drive you crazy.

I was there 2yrs and had to leave before I killed somebody.  Or myself.  Seriously!!

[SoCalSupper]

that pic is like a japanese Bolsa or Huntington-man thats a lot of kamikazes!

[SoCalSupper]

now that i think about it i think i would fit right in with my new board!?

[Menlo SUPr]

Stonie:

As someone who lived in Japan, I can give this analogy:

Japan is size of California.  But habitable landmass is actually much smaller.  You lose a lot of land due to mountains, and a TON of land is tied up in totally inefficient, govt.-subsidized agricultural use.

As a result, Japan's habitable landmass is in actuality, roughly the size of Connecticut.
The population is half the US...

So, imagine cramming half of everybody in the US, into frigging Connecticut.
Yeah.... not a whole lot of fun.

If you are accustomed to Western lifestyle -- and particularly if you enjoy the outdoors, outdoor recreation and a sense of space, Japan is a pretty miserable place to live.  Great people but the lifestyle will drive you crazy.

I was there 2yrs and had to leave before I killed somebody.  Or myself.  Seriously!!

Plenty of open space on Shikoku.

[supthecreek]

spookini...
Well said!
That was a great glimpse into the Japanese experience.
Never heard it summed up quite as effectively before.
Thanks

[Moonwalker]

Head down to the Miyazaki area - beautiful beaches. If you're willing/able to get out of the Tokyo area there are plenty places to SUP.

[stoneaxe]

I'm disappointed...nobody picked up on my bad pun. Hokusai would be disappointed too...

[PonoBill]

I got it, it just wasn't that funny. When you toss out a stinker like that you shouldn't brag about it. Who do you think you are, PDX?

[stoneaxe]

I knew it sucked but I at least figured I'd get a digital groan...

[pdxmike]

I thought it was funny.   

Or at least 

[spookini]

Damn, I just got it too   

Stonie, don't quit your day job!!  30days for the audience to get the punchline is a bit too long.

(And dont' forget to tip your barkeep and waitress....)