Explore: Japan
Facts
- Important pre-arrival information: The Japan Coastguard (JCG) require an Advance Notice of Arrival. See Formalities for all the details.
- Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is located in the Pacific Ocean and lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent. It stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea in the south.
- The total population of Japan is about 127 million, about 90% of whom live in cities. The majority of the Japanese practice Shintoism or Buddism, or a combination of the two.
- Japan operates on Japan Standard Time. For specifics see General Info.
- Japan has four seasons. Spring is characterized by mild conditions whilst the summers can be hot and humid. Autumn can be unpredictable with the highest chance of typhoons whilst the winters are generally crisp with clear skies and snow in places. See Weather section below for more details.
- Japan has over 2,500 ports, so mooring opportunities abound. Visiting yachts typically moor in fishing ports (almost always free), at marinas (of which there about 120 that accept visitors), Umi-no-Eki marinas (“sea stations” – 50 mini-marinas run by local governments), and “Fisherinas” (small marinas operated by fishing co-ops, of which there are about 20 that can handle cruising sailboats).
- Japanese marinas are priced on a par with marinas in other developed countries and are more expensive in/near the larger cities (Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo/Yokohama).
- In general, visiting yachts rarely anchor in Japan (except in the southern islands and a few places in the Seto Inland Sea). Most protected bays are well-developed harbors, and anchoring inside official harbor limits is prohibited. Most other protected bays are occupied by aquaculture operations.
- A major cruising attraction is the Inland Sea (Seto Naikai), which is a large body of water, connected by three passes to the surrounding ocean, and which allows yacht access into the very heart of the country. The place abounds with pretty anchorages or small fishing harbors, but there are also many marinas as well as yacht clubs, which usually offer hospitality to visitors. Those in the smaller places have only basic facilities, while in the larger towns clubs are on a par with the best yacht clubs in Europe or America.
- For more details on yachting services see Yachting Essentials.
- The Kuroshio, or Black Current, flows from south to north and is a very reasonable way for yachts in Asia to take the North Passage to the US West coast. It is easier to cruise the Japanese Islands moving in this direction.
Security
Overall Crime and Safety
Japan is recognized as one of the world’s safest countries, so crime levels throughout Japan are low and it is generally safe to use public transport and walk about freely at night. However, reports of inappropriate touching of female passengers on commuter trains are fairly common. The police advise that you shout at the perpetrator to attract attention and ask a fellow passenger to call the training staff.
Specific areas of concern:
Road Safety: Cars drive on the left in Japan and drivers are generally well mannered. However, a common danger on Japanese roads is drivers speeding over intersections, even well after the traffic light has turned red.
Emergency Numbers:
See General Info for more details.
Weather
The north is cold, while the south is in the monsoon belt. Most of the country is in a temperate four seasonal zone. Summer sees SE winds and a rainy season in June and July. Typhoons are most frequent mid-July to October, but can occur at any time; five to ten days’ warning are usually given. Fog may be a problem at times so having radar is essential. Although typhoons are a constant threat, weather forecasts and faxes are good and reliable, and almost every port has a typhoon shelter.
Japan Meteorological Agency: Marina Forecast updated twice a day.
A useful link for typhoon tracking is: https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html
For links to free global weather information, forecast services and extreme weather information see the Noonsite Weather Page
Main Ports
- Region: Gotto Retto Archipelago
- Ports of Entry:
- Goto (Fukuyama)
- Other Ports:
- Ukushima
- Region: Inland Sea (Seto Naikai)
- Ports of Entry:
- Aioi,
- Shimonoseki
- Other Ports:
- Nishinomiya,
- Sumoto (Awaji Island)
- Region: Kyushu
- Ports of Entry:
- Fukuoka (Hakata),
- Nagasaki
- Region: Mainland (Honshu)
- Ports of Entry:
- Hiroshima City,
- Shimizu,
- Tokyo,
- Yokohama
- Region: Okinawa
- Ports of Entry:
- Ishigaki (Okinawa),
- Naha / Ginowan (Okinawa Island)
- Other Ports:
- Iejima
- Region: Osaka Bay
- Other Ports:
- Tannowa
- Region: Other Islands (Japan)
- Ports of Entry:
- Ogasawara Islands (Bonin Islands)
- Other Ports:
- Amami Oshima,
- Hokkaido,
- Okinoshima,
- Sado,
- Yakushima
