Yuigahama Beach – Kamakura Surfing

The other weekend I visited Yuigahama Beach in Kamakura City to the south of Tokyo. Despite the cold winds and the chilly temperature in the ocean there were lots of surfers – just as usual. It is always interesting to go down there with a longer lens, something you can’t really do in summer for obvious reasons. A curious gentleman crow tried to join but as any beach goes knows, one does not bring for to the beaches of Japan! The crows are not as bad, it is the kites circling above you are more worried about.

Orion Beer

So it is October and that means the summer is over although on some days it seems no one told the weather that it was time to change, it as hot and sunny as usual. Summer means beaches and beer and if there is one beer that more than any other is connected with the summer it is Orion Beer. In mainland Japan it is tiny, with only about 1% of the market but in its homeland of Okinawa it has about 50% of the market. Since Okinawa is a very popular summer destination for traveling Japanese Orion is almost like the unofficial beer of summer. You can get it almost anywhere in Tokyo since a few years back, but it is still best on location in Okinawa!

I was inspired to write this after a friend asked me to recommend minor beer breweries in Japan. Orion is also the major American style beer in Japan so it tends to be popular with American military and tourists in the country.

The Last of August – Yuigahama Beach

The last of August, a Sunday, I was in the city of Kamakura south of Tokyo and went down to the Pacific Ocean beach Yuigahama to enjoy the last of the August sun. It was just as beautiful as always. Although Kamakura is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Japan the beach and the area around it not very developed, and there are still some areas that have not changed a bit since after the War. Even on crowded days the beach is not that crowded really, and it is long enough that it is easy to just walk a little bit further and get a bit more space for yourself. In the summer there are life guards working some days, and special beach bars set up just for the season, serving food, drinks and even hosting club events.

Beach Sparkler

Walking along the Yuigahama beach in Kamakura City on the edge of the Pacific Ocean I saw this couple having fun with some sparklers. It looked fun and romantic. Fireworks are very popular in Japan and an integral part of Japanese culture. Unfortunately there are very few places for people to enjoy them safely in the crowded cities of Japan. But the beach will always do nicely.