Naoshima (直島 ) is a small group of islands located in the Seto Inland Sea with just 3000 inhabitants. The largest of these was until recently becoming a barren, post-industrial site, before it was transformed and redeveloped into Japan’s ‘Art Island’. It’s now a cultural hotspot whose art-based attractions draw hordes of tourists, with nearly a million people visiting its famous Triennale festival alone but the question is : can you swim in Naoshima?
The third Monday in July in Japan, though is different to everywhere else, it is Umi No Hi, or Marine Day, a special holiday celebrating the sea.
Conveniently seated in a natural bay fed by the estuaries of several rivers, the old town of Edo supported fertile grounds for farming and plentiful stocks from the sea.
Izu peninsula is a haven from the nearby megapolis: white sand beaches, dramatic Fuji sunsets, world-class diving and watersports, mountains, waterfalls...
All the seismic activity of Japan, as a land of volcanoes warms up the water, making an archipelago of natural hot springs, or as they are known here, onsen.
Swimming pools in all countries have rules but Japan seems to collect a certain amount of them. The complete guide of japanese pool swimming.
Japan has entered a whole new era, ‘Reiwa’ (令和), marked by the coronation of new emperor Naruhito. This means the resetting of the Japanese calendar to year 1, and a theme of ‘beautiful harmony’ to live by in the coming years.
