A bit off the well worn Endless Summer surf track, Ikumi Beach at the southern tip of Japan's Kochi Prefecture nonetheless offers plenty of the aloha spirit and decent breaks for all levels of ability. Wild breaks at Ikumi have hosted international competition while five minutes down the coast offers milder waves more inviting to amateurs looking to get upright on a wave for the first time. Above all, its a welcome respite from the breakneck pace of modern Japan available at countryside prices.
Ikumi blends the rural charms of Japan's least developed island with a local scene filled with metropolitan refugees. Denizens of Shikoku are well-deserving of their reputation for friendliness and laid back hospitality, greeting road weary travelers with a warm smile and a bottle of Kirin be they beach bums or the streams of Buddhist pilgrims that walk through town on the famed 88 Temples Pilgrimage.
The best deal in town is at the Ikumi Guesthouse, offering air conditioned rooms and breakfast for under $40 American. Your host there, lifelong surf enthusiast Ten, can set you up with discount rentals and lessons, introductions to the locals and all the amenities of a home away from home.
The best surf comes with the typhoons and tourists between June and November but the off-season has its charms (and extra elbow room). Be warned though: like many beach towns, most restaurants close up when the crowds go home and lunch may be a choice between a 3 mile walk and whatever can be gleaned from the local konbini (convenience mart).
More Summer Vacations With an Edge are this way.
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