Japan

In an ever-shrinking diving world, with favourite locations being overrun and over-loved, finding that “next new destination” is a challenge. Well, look no further, as one location has been hiding in plain sight all along: Welcome to Japan! Scott Bennett has the story.

Only two hours from downtown Tokyo lies one of Japan’s most exciting dive sites: Osezaki, in Shizuoka Prefecture. Kenji Ichimura has the story.

As a divemaster in Japan, I have enjoyed diving all around the world, and I will admit that there are many places on earth I would love to revisit soon. But for today, I would like to introduce my home country, Japan, as your next possible dive destination.

Kinki is a ruggedly beautiful peninsula in the southwest of Honshu, Japan. The area is best known for the Shinto shrines of Kumano, which sit atop forested mountains in the center of the region. Each year, thousands of tourists and devotees undertake a pilgrimage through the mountains to reach the tranquil sanctuary, which is said to be a place of physical healing.

Year 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has confronted the world with an unprecedented situation. Many countries went into lockdown, and as a result, many people were forced to stay indoors, including myself in Japan. Although Japan never went into an official “lockdown”—it instead went into a so-called state of emergency—I could not wait to get out of the Tokyo metropolis as soon as restrictions were lifted.

Self-taught Japanese artist Setsuo Hamanaka creates beautiful, detailed and dynamic paintings of aquatic life in a variety of settings from the open ocean and mangroves to freshwater ponds and cityscapes. X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to learn more about his creative process and what inspires him about the underwater realm.

From October to Novem­ber of 2020, the Japan National Tourism Organ­ization (JNTO) held its second annual Japan Underwater Photo Contest, seeking photos taken by divers that showcase the undiscovered beauty and artistry of diving in Japan to the world.