Scuba diving locations in Japan:

• The islands of the Izu Peninsula have a wide variety of things to see from fish and coral to caves and even shipwrecks. You can see tropical and cold-water species since currents from the north and south flow to the area.
• Okinawa is the country's southern-most prefecture and the climate is good year-round outside of typhoons in season. Made up of several clusters of islands, including the Yonaguni islands, home to what many people think to be a sunken city or civilization.
• The Kerama Islands hosts a great variety of corals and marine animals and plants in transparent emerald green waters of 50 to 60m visibility. Over 400 types of corals, 5 types of sea turtles, mantarays, whalesharks, dugongs and many kinds of tropical fish species all live around Okinawa.
• The Sea of Okhotsk, off the coast of Hokkaido in the north, offers spectacular ice drifts.

When to scuba dive in Japan:

Areas affected by monsoons from the Asian continent experience severe winters, despite being located in the temperate zone. Summers are humid and hot. Most areas of Japan have a rainy season sometime during June and July, and occasional typhoons, caused by tropical lows during August through to October, bring heavy rains and high winds to some areas. Therefore, the peak season for marine sports begins at the end of the rainy season in mid-July, and runs to early September when the hot weather ends. It is cold and icy up in the north of Hokkaido, so a sry suit is necesary. In Okinawa, see the schooling of hammerhead sharks between January and March..

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in Japan:

• Maeda Point Okinawa Island has a steep, almost vertical, dropoff right off the shore that allows for 100 foot deep dives.
• Zamami Cove on Zamami Island has a number of coral species and large marine life.
• Yonaguni Monument is a unique underwater structure that was discovered in the 1980s which features big terraces that look like steps on a staircase with their flat sides and sharp corners. Scholars disagree on whether it is a natural or man-made structure.

The best spots to snorkel in Japan:

Okinawa offers several locations where anyone can go snorkeling right from shore and see a wide variety of marine life. Maeda Point has relatively easy access to the water where you can see excellent marine life in clear water. Swim out far enough and you can see the water drop from a few feet to well over 100 feet.

Fun scuba facts:

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: yen (JPY)
• Population: is about 128,000,000 (2011)
• Time Zone: JST (GMT+9)
• Main languages spoken: Japanese ## Diveable overseas territories:

Japanese diving federations:

JAPAN CMAS INSTRUCTOR ASSOCIATION (JCIA), JCS, MARINE TECHNO EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DIVING DIVISION (MTES), KANSAI SENSUI RENMEI (KD JAPAN) are all members of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS)

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):