Kamakura tide times

Kamakura is 50 kilometres southwest of Tokyo on Sagami Bay, a former medieval capital (1185–1333) that now functions as Tokyo's nearest surf coast. The Kamakura hills roll down to Yuigahama and Zaimokuza beaches; behind the beaches the town contains over 70 temples and shrines, including the Kōtoku-in (the Great Buddha, 13.35 metres, cast in 1252). Tidal pattern is semidiurnal with a mean spring range of about 1.6 metres. The Pacific face of the bay catches south and southeast groundswell from the Pacific and from typhoon swell systems approaching Japan from the south.

Yuigahama Beach is the main Kamakura surf beach, running 1 kilometre west of the town centre. Beach break peaks form across the length of the beach in 2 to 4 foot south swell; the wave quality varies with sand bar position but the beach picks up swell consistently from June through October when typhoon-generated swell organises the Pacific. Autumn (September through November) is the best season — post-typhoon groundswell, offshore morning winds, and no summer crowd. The beach is extremely crowded in July and August when beachgoing by train from Tokyo makes it one of the most-visited beaches in Japan.

Shachihata (Shachi) and Inamuragasaki points west of Kamakura have reef and point break sections that handle larger swell more cleanly than the beach. Inamuragasaki, a volcanic rock headland, produces a left-hand reef break in south to southwest swell that draws experienced surfers from Tokyo on swell days.

For non-surfers, the Enoshima island (7 km northwest) is a compact volcanic island with sea caves, lighthouse, aquarium, and a tidal causeway that submerges at high water. The tidal window for walking the causeway dry-shod is roughly 2 hours either side of low water; at high water the island is connected only by the paved bridge. The sea caves (Iwaya Caves) are accessible from the island interior.

Fishing from Kamakura's coastal rocks targets sea bream, black sea bream (kurodai), and yellowtail (hamachi) in the shoals that move through Sagami Bay in autumn. The rocky shore south of Inamuragasaki is accessible at low water; a Japanese fishing licence is not required for shore fishing in saltwater.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For authoritative Japanese tide data, consult the Japan Meteorological Agency at jma.go.jp.