Oarai beach
Japanese beaches for some reason still remain underestimated by the world community, well it shouldn't. After all, they offer vacationers not only waves and a flat shore but also comfort and super convenience even for physically challenged people. The Japanese organize beach holidays in their manner. Tourists can even take a free wheelchair for swimming and walking on the sand. One of these beaches is Oarai.
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Beach description
The beach consists of two sections, one of which is a long sandy spit (Sun Beach), and the second is a pebbled section with protruding rocks. Most vacationers, of course, choose the first beach because it is flat, without stones, knolls and shells, and therefore you can walk along its fine sand completely relaxed. The second one is for surfers and, oddly enough, families with children, because the rocks near the shore form small pools full of crabs and other small marine inhabitants.
Waves are active but moderate at Sun Beach. They are somewhat calmer than on the neighboring pebble coast. Gusts of wind are sufficient for water sports, but at the same time they do not interfere with swimming and rest on the shore. The water surface is smooth, without rocky ledges, which makes swimming safe. The water deepens slowly.
This is the most popular and largest beach in the Kanto area, so a lot of families come here from the vicinity for the weekend. During the season, there are so many of them that there is not enough space at parking, which has a capacity of 7,000 cars. Therefore, if you do not want to puzzle over where to leave your personal transport, consider another transportation option. The fastest way is to catch the Super Hitachi train from Ueno Station. It takes about 2 hours to get here. If you stay directly at Oarai, city buses stop near the beach, although the distance is quite long for walking.
When is the best time to go?
If in the north of Japan, in Hokkaido, the weather in January-February is quite wintery, in the southern islands the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees even in the cold season. In summer, the rainy season comes in Japan, when the humidity becomes almost one hundred percent, and the thermometer is at 30 to 40 degrees. Therefore, the best time to travel to Japan – is late spring or early autumn.
Video: Beach Oarai
Infrastructure
Portales Beach's infrastructure is well-developed. Its visitors can use umbrellas, sun lounges, changing cabins, a shower, a toilet and even special wheelchairs. There are seasonal stalls where you can buy drinks and a snack at the entrance to the beach. Also, there is a very decent restaurant next to it, where Gyudon (beef on rice) is considered the speciality of the menu. A sushi-sized rice cake wrapped in a thin layer of beef and roasted well. Served with vegetables.
Weather in Oarai
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- There is the oceanic aquarium of Ibaraki Prefecture, also known as Aquaworld near the beach. Its exposition presents the largest shark exhibition in Japan. Visitors have the opportunity to admire 68,000 sea creatures from 580 different species of animals, including dolphins, otters and sea lions.
- The beach is famous for its fireworks night. This festival takes place annually at Oarai Sun Beach. The spectacle is really impressive, as about 3,000 colorful lights explode over the sea, beautifully synchronized with the musical background.
- Also, there are magical sunsets on this shore. Stay on the beach when the sun begins to set. The sky at this time shimmers with an orange tint, gracefully outlining the rocks of Kamiiso-no-Torii.
- In the city you can meet the characters of the animated series “Girls und Panzer” in the streets. Therefore, on weekends, fans of anime culture come to Oarai, and it's getting crowded on the beach.