- COVID-19: Entry protocols for yachts have been affected by the pandemic. See the Biosecurity section for details.
- 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.
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Update from Kirk Patterson of Konpira Consulting, Japan: Japan has just entered a seventh Covid surge, setting a new record in infections since the pandemic started (but fortunately not in hospitalizations or deaths). So far, the national and local governments are not re-imposing any restrictions on activities/movement, but they have postponed the start of a campaign to promote domestic tourism. I had previously thought that Japan might open up to foreign visitors in September, but I think this latest surge makes that unlikely (especially as Japan has been carefully monitoring NZ’s experience of a major surge in infections after it ended its long, strict border restrictions). There are some rumors of an October 1 opening, but I think it will probably be late fall or even January 1. All of which makes it hard for the many cruisers trying to make yes/no decisions on whether to prepare for entering Japan next spring (the normal time to arrive in Japan).
The announcement that Japan was opening to all foreign tourists from 1 June led to a great deal of misunderstanding: it does in fact only apply to tightly scheduled tour groups with guides. The number of tourists that can enter Japan each month is capped and maritime borders for yachts are still very much closed. Kirk Patterson of Konpira Consulting Japan told Noonsite; “A national election is scheduled for late July, so it is unlikely that any major opening will be announced before then. September is the earliest likely date that cruisers would be able to enter Japan, however there is still a great deal of uncertainty about what visas will be avail-able. In any case, April-June is the time for foreign cruisers to enter Japan so a September opening is too late for cruisers to come to Japan in 2022.” He adds “I do know, though, that a lot of foreign cruisers are wanting to come to Japan. Compared to 20-30 boats in a typical pre-pandemic year, I’ve got a “possible client” list for 2023-2024 of about 30 boats….and that’s just people who have contacted me, so I would guess that the total number of boats seriously con-sidering coming to Japan as soon as it opens is well over a hundred.”
Hello ? everyone I am an Argentinian living in japan for a while now in Tokyo ! and getting interested in Buying a boat sailing and using the boat as House !
Can someone advise me place to find cheap used boats for buying ! Websites , suggestions, how to save in getting the license for sailing ! Any public institution? For practicing and taking exam ? Any advise is welcome.
Messenger Maximiliano Paradiso
What’s app +5491164166669
Hi, Maxim…I am a Canadian who has cruised Japan for six years (and lived here for a total of 32 years, 25 in Tokyo). I currently operate a marine-tourism company (see Konpira Consulting ad). For what you want to do, the best way to start is to join the Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron…https://tspsjapan.org; the membership chairman is John Marshall — [email protected]. TSPS is a group of foreign sailors n Japan, mainly the Tokyo area. Through them you can learn how to prepare for the Japanese boat-license exam and take it in English, can sail on other members’ boats, and get ideas on how to search for a boat (there are several websites for buying/selling boats, but they are all in Japanese). You can’t technically make a boat your official, registered residence, but you can use it as a floating cottage! To moor a boat within commuting distance of Tokyo, though, is very expensive (some TSPS members actually moor their boats in the Seto Inland Sea and fly there 1-2 times a month for some weekend sailing…cheaper than keeping the boat near Tokyo). Anyway, I recommend that you join TSPS and then take it from there. Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions — [email protected]. Good luck!
Hey ? Kirk
Captain Kirk maybe !? ?
Thank you ? for the info ! I will do that ! Is ok with the Japanese websites I have Automatic translation, if you can give me some of them I really appreciate!
Keep in touch
I just concluded a passage from Portland, OR to Yokohama, Japan, spending about a month moving from a Wakkanai, Hokkaido landfall to Yokohama Bayside Marina where I left my 60’ s/v Elcano.
I had the excellent assistance of Kirk Patterson of Konpira Consulting for the month I spent in Japan and recommend him most enthusiastically for help understanding and navigating through the complexities of Japan. He knows boats having circumnavigated Japan solo and made numerous offshore passages; he knows Japan and the considerable Japanese marine bureaucracy having lived there for decades; he is fluent in Japanese and he is well known in the marinas and sailing communities around Japan. In addition, he is a valuable source of local weather forecasts, local charts and fishing gear hazards, which are ubiquitous, and the specifics of where to find moorage in ports.
Kirk can be reached at [email protected]
Todd S Thompson
s/v Elcano
What were the procedures for leaving? Anything special or notice required?
Mar 13, 2019 06:10 AM
Upon arrival in Okinawa from Tahiti (French Polynesia), we were instructed by the Japan Coast Guard (+81(0)98-951-0120) to clear in at Naha harbor. Best to communicate via email (they reply quickly – using on-line translator): [email protected]
You can easily get the “pre-arrival procedure form” (to mail to JCG prior to landing) with a simple web engine search. The pre-arrival procedure form is rather long, detailed, and clearly designed for large vessels, thus no worries if you can’t fill in all boxes.
In your mail to JCG, ask them to arrange landing location with the Naha port authority (+81(0)98-862-2328) as they don’t speak English either.
Our landing position at Naha commercial harbor:
Quay 5 – N26°12’34 E127°40’22
Fee: approx. 300 Yen/night (based on tonnage – 5 tons)
Customs office at Naha Port: [email protected] / +81(0)98-862-8529
All Customs procedures are explained and relevant forms available at:
http://www.customs.go.jp/english/law/customsform/form_C_e.htm
For tax-free fuel, you need Customs form C2160 – “Declaration of loading of [your] ship’s stores of domestic goods [i.e. Japanese gas!]”
Sailing boats can’t stay in Naha commercial port. Shortly after completing all entry formalities, you will be asked to move to Ginowan marina (West coast) or Yonabaru marina (East coast).
We moved to Itoman fishing port “Fisherina”, where we stayed 1 week at a floating pontoon. The Fisherina office is closed on Wednesday. No English spoken but friendly and helpful staff with whom we could ‘easily’ communicate through real-time voice translation app.
Mooring coordinates: N26°07’43 E127°39’04
Tariffs: 1500 Yen/night (based on boat length – our boat is 35′ feet long)
Gasoil/Diesel: delivery by truck at the pontoon upon request (provider called by Fisherina office)
Fresh water at the pontoon: 50 Yen/hour (long hose available upon request at the office)
Facilities: WC, showers (hot water – 200 Yen/shower), beverages (vending machines)
No Internet / WIFI but if needed, possibility to get connected at the Fisherina office
Free public WIFI networks widely available in Okinawa (e.g. BeOkinawa, NahaCity, etc.)
A useful website to get the contacts of the various marinas where you can stop in Japan is http://www.umi-eki.jp (English version available). They do not all speak English on the phone though…
Regarding notice of arrival to Japan Coast Guard: The email addresses for the Ogasawara Coast Guard Station in Chichi Jima is [email protected] and for Kawayama Coast Guard on Honshu is [email protected].