Dive sites in Japan
Browse by region, city or dive type to find suitable locations for your experience level.
Regions
All dive sites
Osezaki
Numazu · Izu Peninsula · Japan
Premier temperate water site near Tokyo with unique mix of tropical and cold-water species, seasonal hammerheads, and superb macro life.
Yakushima Sea Turtle Beach
Yakushima · Kagoshima · Japan
UNESCO island with Japan's highest density of sea turtles — guaranteed encounters with loggerheads and greens on coral reefs.
Amami Oshima Coral Reef
Amami · Kagoshima Prefecture · Japan
A subtropical island between Kyushu and Okinawa where pristine coral reefs thrive in the warm Kuroshio Current, supporting sea turtles, humpback whales in winter, and some of Japan's healthiest hard coral coverage.
Yakushima - Isso Beach
Miyanoura · Kagoshima Prefecture · Japan
An ancient cedar island turned sea turtle sanctuary where green and loggerhead turtles nest on the beach and swim alongside divers in the Kuroshio Current.
Aka Island - Nishi Hama
Naha · Kerama Islands, Okinawa · Japan
A pristine Kerama reef off Aka Island with world-class visibility, thriving coral gardens, and gentle sea turtles in impossibly clear water.
Tokashiki Island
Naha · Kerama Islands, Okinawa · Japan
The largest Kerama island with pristine table coral gardens, abundant sea turtles, and legendary Kerama Blue visibility perfect for relaxed reef diving.
Kashiwajima
Sukumo · Kochi Prefecture · Japan
A small island off Shikoku's southwestern coast where the warm Kuroshio Current delivers tropical fish species to temperate Japanese waters, creating an unusual biodiversity hotspot with nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and seasonal hammerhead encounters.
Ogasawara Dolphins Point
Chichi-jima · Ogasawara · Japan
Remote oceanic island with wild dolphin encounters, pristine coral, and unique endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.
Chichijima - Bonin Islands
Chichijima · Ogasawara Islands · Japan
Japan's remote Galapagos where sand tiger sharks, dolphins, humpback whales, and pristine coral reefs reward the 24-hour ferry journey from Tokyo.
Kerama Blue Cave
Zamami · Okinawa · Japan
Spectacular sea cave with 'Kerama Blue' crystal-clear water, sea turtle encounters, and one of Japan's best shallow diving experiences.
Kerama Islands Approach
Naha · Okinawa · Japan
The inner reef channels between Naha and the Kerama Islands offering crystal-clear Kerama Blue water with sea turtles, manta rays, and pristine coral gardens accessible as day trips from Okinawa's capital city.
Miyako Blue Cave
Miyako-jima · Okinawa · Japan
A stunning limestone cave system on Miyako Island where shafts of blue light penetrate through openings in the reef ceiling, creating ethereal illumination effects in clear subtropical water surrounded by healthy coral reef.
Yonaguni Monument
Yonaguni · Okinawa · Japan
Mysterious underwater terraced structure — natural formation or ancient ruins? Japan's most enigmatic dive site.
Kerama Blue Zamami
Zamami · Okinawa Prefecture · Japan
Crystal-clear waters nicknamed Kerama Blue surround Zamami Island's coral gardens, where green sea turtles glide over pristine staghorn formations and humpback whales pass through during winter months.
Miyakojima Yabiji Coral Reef
Miyakojima · Okinawa Prefecture · Japan
Japan's largest coral reef system north of Miyako Island in Okinawa, featuring over 100 reef patches with pristine table corals, manta ray cleaning stations, and some of the clearest water in the Japanese archipelago.
Okinawa Blue Cave Cape Maeda
Naha · Okinawa Prefecture · Japan
A sea cave on Okinawa's western coast where sunlight refracting through the underwater entrance creates an ethereal blue glow inside the cavern, accessible to snorkellers and divers alike and home to colourful tropical reef fish and marine crustaceans.
Yonaguni Monument
Yonaguni · Okinawa Prefecture · Japan
A mysterious underwater rock formation off Japan's westernmost island featuring terraced platforms, sharp right-angled edges, and channel-like passages that have sparked decades of debate over natural versus man-made origins.
Atami
Atami · Shizuoka Prefecture · Japan
A soft coral-encrusted shipwreck and volcanic reef just 45 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train, offering year-round temperate diving with seasonal megafauna.
Cape Ose
Numazu · Shizuoka Prefecture · Japan
A biodiversity hotspot on the Izu Peninsula where deep-sea oddities, frogfish, and seasonal mola mola converge against a Mount Fuji backdrop.
Izu Oceanic Park
Ito · Shizuoka Prefecture · Japan
A sheltered volcanic rock reef on the eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula offering year-round diving with seasonal hammerhead shark sightings, vast schools of jack, and one of Japan's most accessible dive training facilities.
Ogasawara Minami-jima
Chichijima · Tokyo Prefecture · Japan
A tiny uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain south of Chichijima, where dramatic underwater walls plunge into deep blue water and encounters with dolphins, sharks, and massive pelagic fish define every dive.
Kabira Manta Point
Ishigaki · Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa · Japan
A shallow reef cleaning station off Kabira Bay where manta rays gather in spectacular numbers from summer through autumn.
Dive centers in Japan
Marine House Seasir Aka
Aka Island · Okinawa · Japan
PADI 5 Star Resort on Aka Island inside Kerama Marine Park. On-site accommodation with 5-min boat rides to world-class dive sites.
Atami Marine Sports Club
Atami · Shizuoka · Japan
PADI 5 Star Resort in Atami, under 1 hour from Tokyo. Wreck diving, caverns, and volcanic rock formations.
Okinawa 39ers
Chatan · Okinawa · Japan
Bilingual dive centre in Chatan, Okinawa. Beach and boat dives from Sunabe to Kerama Islands, USS Emmons wreck, and Blue Cave.
Prime Scuba Ishigaki
Ishigaki · Okinawa · Japan
PADI dive center on Ishigaki Island with luxury dive cruiser. Famous for manta ray encounters and pristine Yaeyama coral reefs.
Viking Scuba Kabira
Ishigaki · Okinawa · Japan
Small-group dive shop near Kabira Bay, Ishigaki. All-inclusive packages with manta rays, coral reefs, and complimentary dive photos.
Miyakojima Diving Aquatic Adventure
Miyakojima · Okinawa · Japan
PADI dive shop on Miyako Island famous for spectacular cave, grotto, and archway diving. English service with full equipment rental.
Penguin Divers
Miyakojima · Okinawa · Japan
English-speaking PADI dive shop on Miyako Island. Cave diving, coral reefs, and sea turtles with bilingual instructors.
Bonz Okinawa Diving Center
Naha · Okinawa · Japan
PADI dive center in Naha offering intimate small-group boat trips to Kerama Islands with English-speaking guides.
Honu Honu Divers
Naha · Okinawa · Japan
PADI Dive Resort in Naha offering English-guided boat trips to the Kerama Islands with sea turtles and crystal-clear waters.
Marine House Seasir Naha
Naha · Okinawa · Japan
PADI 5 Star IDC Resort in Naha with own boat fleet for daily Kerama Islands trips. Multilingual staff, full course range.
mic21 Okinawa Naha
Naha · Okinawa · Japan
PADI 5 Star Resort and Japan's largest dive equipment retailer in Naha. Kerama Islands trips and comprehensive gear shop.
EastDive
Odawara · Shizuoka · Japan
PADI 5 Star Center near Tokyo with day trips to Izu Peninsula. Multilingual staff (EN/FR/PT/JA), shore and boat dives.
Dive Resort Hahajima
Ogasawara · Tokyo · Japan
The only dive resort on remote Hahajima Island, Ogasawara. Pristine UNESCO waters with untouched coral reefs and pelagics.
Papa's Diving Studio
Ogasawara · Tokyo · Japan
PADI 5 Star Resort on Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands. Japan's Galapagos with dolphins, whales, sharks, and 40m+ visibility.
DiveZone Tokyo
Tokyo · Tokyo · Japan
English-speaking dive club in Tokyo. Day trips to Izu Peninsula, PADI/SDI courses, freediving, and social diving community.
Divenavi Scuba Academy
Tokyo · Tokyo · Japan
PADI dive center in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Backed by award-winning travel agency STWorld with free transport to Izu dive sites.
Ever Blue Yakushima
Yakushima · Kagoshima · Japan
PADI dive center on UNESCO-listed Yakushima Island. Famous for 90%+ sea turtle encounter rate and pristine natural environment.
Diving Service Bommie
Naha · Okinawa · Japan
Okinawa dive service offering Kerama Islands diving with sea turtles, whale sharks at Churaumi, and coral gardens.
Sunkissed Divers Okinawa-Yomitan
Yomitan · Okinawa · Japan
Okinawa Diving Center
Onna · Okinawa · Japan
Okidives
Chatan · Okinawa · Japan
Best Dive Okinawa
Onna · Okinawa · Japan
Aloha Divers
Yomitan · Okinawa · Japan
English Empire Divers Okinawa
Yomitan · Okinawa · Japan
Diving Shop Lei
〒904-0414 Okinawa · Okinawa · Japan
Alpha Dive
Chatan · Okinawa · Japan
Blue Ocean
Onna · Okinawa · Japan
Piranha Divers
〒904-0401 Okinawa · Okinawa · Japan
MarineFactory
Ginowan · Okinawa · Japan
SEAKERS SSI Scuba Diving Center in Okinawa
Urasoe · Okinawa · Japan
Euro-Divers Club Med Kabira | Dive Center
Ishigaki · Okinawa · Japan
ishigaki Jiyujin Scuba diving
〒907-0013 Okinawa · Okinawa · Japan
HangOut Divers ダイビング 石垣島
Ishigaki · Okinawa · Japan
ABC Dive
Ishigaki · Okinawa · Japan
NOVA DIVE
Ishigaki · Okinawa · Japan
Nabbie Diving Ishigaki
Ishigaki · Okinawa · Japan
南ぬ島 DIVE SITE
〒907-0004 Okinawa · Okinawa · Japan
Izu Oceanic Park Diving Center - I.O.P.
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Koganezaki Dive Center
〒410-3501 Shizuoka · Shizuoka · Japan
Dive Dream
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Inatori Marine Sports Center Izu
Higashiizu · Shizuoka · Japan
Diving Instructor Center Izu
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Yawatano Diving Center
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Izu Laughin' Diving School
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Guy's diving center
Kamo District · Shizuoka · Japan
Dive Healing
〒413-0232 Shizuoka · Shizuoka · Japan
Paparagi Diving School Izu
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
The Dive Factory - Jougasaki Club House
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Dive House P-FISH(ダイブハウス ピーフィッシュ）
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Izukko Diving
Itō · Shizuoka · Japan
Clione Divers
Nishiizu · Shizuoka · Japan
Arari Dive Service
Nishiizu · Shizuoka · Japan
Diving in Japan
Dive sites in Japan include reef, cave, wall locations across Izu Peninsula, Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Kerama Islands, Okinawa, Kochi Prefecture, Ogasawara, Ogasawara Islands, Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tokyo Prefecture, Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa. Each location includes depth, conditions and environment type to help you plan safely.
Use the region and city navigation above to narrow your search, or explore individual site pages for detailed conditions, entry type, skill requirements and nearby alternatives.
FAQ
How far is Osezaki from Tokyo?
Approximately 2 hours by car or train from Tokyo, making it one of the most accessible quality dive sites for Tokyo-based divers.
When are hammerheads seen?
Hammerhead sharks are occasionally seen during summer months (July-September) when warm Kuroshio Current waters reach the Izu Peninsula.
Is a drysuit needed?
Outside of summer (July-September), water temperatures can drop to 16 degrees Celsius, making a drysuit highly recommended. In summer, a 5mm wetsuit is usually sufficient.
How reliable are turtle encounters?
Extremely reliable. Yakushima is Japan's most important sea turtle nesting site, and turtles are seen on virtually every dive during the summer season.
How do I get to Yakushima?
Yakushima has an airport with flights from Kagoshima (35 min) and Osaka. High-speed ferries also run from Kagoshima city (2-3 hours).