As a travel destination, Japan needs no introduction, famed for its history, scenery, cuisine and fusion of traditional culture and high tech. As a diving destination, however, it does not immediately spring to mind. Certainly, many are aware of Okinawa’s reefs in the country’s far south, but what about a flourishing dive scene mere hours from Tokyo, boasting a blend of temperate, sub-tropical and even tropical species?

Before the pandemic, Japan put great effort into inviting tourists from around the world to visit our country. Inbound tourism was treated as a growing industry, which is now an extremely important part of the Japanese economy.

Presently, many resources and a lot of money are being poured into “Visit Japan” promotions all around the world by Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), and as a result, tourist sites all around Japan have become packed with international travellers.

Taiwan is a group of Pacific islands surrounded by warm tropical seas. It is easy to get to and get around and it is a first-world society with outgoing, friendly, laid-back people. Taiwan has some very good scuba diving and a network of dive centres and resorts with first-class professional staff, equipment and services. They offer scuba experiences, basic training courses and fun diving for a young, enthusiastic first generation of Taiwanese divers.

Taiwan is a group of Pacific islands surrounded by warm tropical seas. It is easy to get to and get around and it is a first-world society with outgoing, friendly, laid-back people. Taiwan has some very good scuba diving and a network of dive centres and resorts with first-class professional staff, equipment and services. They offer scuba experiences, basic training courses and fun diving for a young, enthusiastic first generation of Taiwanese divers.

Kinki’s southernmost dive spots are draped in lush soft corals, reminiscent of the tropical reefscapes of Southeast Asia, but Kinki is only “tropical” for half of the year. During the winter months, cold water creeps southward from the eastern coast of Russia, lowering ocean temperatures from a toasty 26°C to a rather chilly 10°C. Unperturbed, local divers switch from thin neoprene suits to thick drysuits and continue to enjoy the region’s underwater beauty throughout the year.

Taiwan is a group of Pacific islands surrounded by warm tropical seas. It is easy to get to and get around and it is a first-world society with outgoing, friendly, laid-back people. Taiwan has some very good scuba diving and a network of dive centres and resorts with first-class professional staff, equipment and services. They offer scuba experiences, basic training courses and fun diving for a young, enthusiastic first generation of Taiwanese divers.

Taiwan is a group of Pacific islands surrounded by warm tropical seas. It is easy to get to and get around, and it is a first-world society with outgoing, friendly, laid-back people. Taiwan offers some very good scuba and a network of dive centres and resorts, with first-class professional staff, equipment and services. They offer scuba experiences, basic training courses and fun diving for a young, enthusiastic first generation of Taiwanese divers.

Taiwan offers some very good scuba diving and a network of dive centres and resorts, with first-class professional staff, equipment and services. They offer scuba experiences, basic training courses and fun diving for a young, enthusiastic first generation of Taiwanese divers.

I had stayed indoors for far too long—three months—and my body was craving the ocean as it never had before. As traveling to countries outside of Japan was not possible due to the pandemic, I decided to take on an excursion to the warmest place possible within Japan: the Okinawa Islands. However, there are many islands that comprise Okinawa, and given the grim situation that I had been in, I had to choose the island that most represented the opposite of it: the tropical paradise of Miyakojima, or Miyako Island.

From photos of species endemic to Japan to the unique views and one-of-a-kind colors found in Japanese waters, the photo contest received 765 submissions from 200 participants, ranging from hobbyists to professional photographers. Winners were carefully selected by judges Hideki Abe and Kazushige Horiguchi, both professional underwater photographers based in Japan, recognized worldwide for their incredible works.