East Asia · Japan
Miura Peninsula — Jogashima, Hayama & Zushi
Over 30 nudibranch species on a single Jogashima dive, 90 minutes from Tokyo
The Miura Peninsula gives Tokyo divers beach and boat diving that fits inside a day trip. The rock is the attraction: the rugged formations of Iwabone on Jogashima's Sagami Bay side, the Ootaka-ne pinnacle off Zushi and the soft corals of Tsubu-ne. Jogashima is best known for nudibranchs, with over 30 species often found on a single dive, and winter adds lumpsuckers to the count.
About diving in Miura Peninsula — Jogashima, Hayama & Zushi
Diving here is a day trip from the capital: the Miura and Shonan coasts are about an hour from central Tokyo, and Jogashima about 90 minutes. Jogashima sits at the southern tip of the peninsula, joined to the mainland by a bridge, and its centres run both beach and boat dives. Two-boat-dive days run to both Jogashima and Miyagawa Bay, and the closest sites are short runs: Tobine lies five minutes from port. Typhoons send swell onto this coast, and it can linger after a storm has passed.
Off Zushi a large reef rises sharply from a sandy bottom, and on the western side of Jogashima the rock formations of Iwabone face Sagami Bay and catch a warm branch of the Kuroshio. Jogashima's rugged coastline plunges straight into the sea, cut by a crevasse 100 m (328 ft) long. The terrain at Miyagawa Bay holds frogfish, seahorses, combtooth blennies and gobies throughout the year, and schools of yellowtail and horse mackerel are commonly seen around Jogashima.
The coast suits newly certified divers and those taking courses, since centres on the peninsula teach from try dives through PADI Open Water and step-up levels, and the shallow boat sites at Miyagawa Bay are rated suitable for novices. Seasoned photographers and experienced divers come back again and again. Divers after pinnacle terrain and fish schools should ask for the Zushi boat sites.
Best time to dive Miura Peninsula — Jogashima, Hayama & Zushi
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Boats run all year; winter is the peak for nudibranchs and lumpsuckers, summer for colourful seasonal visitors.
Dive types & marine life
Nudibranchs are found all year and peak in winter; lumpsuckers appear from winter into spring. Summer brings colourful seasonal visitors, while yellowtail and horse mackerel school around Jogashima. Frogfish and seahorses are year-round residents at Miyagawa Bay, so they do not depend on timing.
- Reef
- Muck & macro
- Nudibranchs
- Frogfish
- Macro critters
Best dive sites in Miura Peninsula — Jogashima, Hayama & Zushi
- 1
Ootaka-ne
Rocky pinnacle 4.5 km offshore, rising 20 m (66 ft) from a sandy seabed at 30 m (98 ft).
- 2
Iwabone
Rugged rock off western Jogashima, where the Kuroshio brings species rarely seen in Tokyo Bay.
- 3
Tsubu-ne
Zushi site with colourful soft corals and schools of fish seen all year.
- 4
Tobine
Beginner-friendly Miyagawa Bay boat site to 18 m (59 ft), a maze of rocky ridges.
- 5
Shibasaki Beach
Hayama's long-standing shore dive, worked by macro photographers for small life.
Site guides
How to get to Miura Peninsula — Jogashima, Hayama & Zushi
From Haneda Airport, Keikyu trains run via Keikyu-Kamata toward Yokohama. From Shinagawa the Keikyu limited express takes about 75 minutes to Misakiguchi at the end of the line, and the #9 bus continues to Jogashima; dive shops also run shuttles.
Photos from Miura Peninsula — Jogashima, Hayama & Zushi
Paipateroma · CC BY 3.0
Questions divers ask
Is Miura diving suitable for new divers?+
Yes. Miyagawa Bay has one beach entry and four boat sites, all within 18 m (59 ft) and well suited to novice divers.
Can divers get certified at Jogashima?+
Yes. Jogashima centres teach try dives, PADI Open Water and step-up courses, and run beach and boat fun dives for certified divers.
Can divers night dive at Jogashima?+
Yes. Kajinohama Beach, a calm rock-and-sand beach to 7 m, is used for day-trip night dives from Tokyo as well as for training.
Sources
- Miura and Shonan Diving Guide — PADI
- Yokosuka Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Jogashima Diving Center — Jogashima Diving Center
- Miura Gomachan Divers — Miura Gomachan Divers
- Miura – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Yokosuka – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Jogashima Diving Points — Jogashima Diving Center
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a green, farmed peninsula with a small island at its tip, set in dark blue sea under haze by Paipateroma, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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