Swimming in Hayama

Triathlon in Tokyo team members regularly swim in Hayama. There is no charge, and there are no instructors or lifeguards: each of us takes responsibility for our own safety. The main thing to look out for is other water users, especially stand-up paddleboarders. All the regular swimmers at Hayama use swim buoys as these make you more visible. These are readily available from Wiggle, Amazon, etc.

Meeting Point 1 - Hayama Park (Hayama-koen)

We meet at Hayama Park and swim from Ohama beach. There are toilets with an adjacent covered area which we use in winter. For most of the year, there is just a tap which you can use to wash gear. There is a bucket by the tap which you can use to shower. In July and August, they rig up an outdoor shower.

Access to Hayama Park

1. Bicycle: There is bicycle parking at the entrance to the park watched over by staff. The Daichari (ダイチャリ) bicycle rental service is all over Zushi and Hayama. Registered users can pick up a bike at Zushi City Hall and drop it off near one of the beaches. 

2. Buses from Zushi Station: You can take buses 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 71, 72  from Stop 2 outside Zushi station (in front of Beck's), or Stop 1 outside the south exit of Shin Zushi station (just past the 7/11 store. 

3. Hayama Bus stops: Get off at "Hayama" in front of the palace (Goyotei) and walk past the Mini Stop then turn right at the traffic lights towards Hayama Koen. Or you can get off at the next bus stop and walk back a short way.

4. Live Bus Information: English website showing live position of Keikyu buses.

5. Limousine Bus: Keikyu Limousine Bus runs from Yokohama YCAT bus terminal (near the East Exit of Yokohama train station) directly to Hayama bus stop by the palace. 

6. Car: There is a car park in Hayama Park right by our meeting place. The fees are here (scroll down to 葉山公園駐車場). There is also parking above Chojagaski point [here].

Meeting Point 2 - Morito Beach

We meet at Morito Beach near the red bridge that links Morito Shrine to the beach.There is a paved area and benches. There are also toilets nearby.

1. Bicycle Parking: You can leave bikes at any of the entrances to the beach.

2. Buses from Zushi Station: You can take buses 11 or 12 from Stop 3 outside Zushi station. Get off at Morito jinja.

3. Car: The cheapest parking area is at Motomachi Union Supermarket, a few minutes from the beach. Before 7 a.m. it is 110 yen for 60 mins; after 7 a.m. it is 220 yen for 60 mins. If you spend 2,000 yen at the supermarket, you get 2 hours free parking.

4. Food & coffee: Esmaralda and next-door Whitely both do coffee and vegetarian & vegan options. Whitely is 100% vegan.

Weather and Sea Conditions

1. Weather: Outdoor Tenki JP    Yahoo forecast for Hayama     Windguru windsurfing forecast 

2. Water temperature: Isshiki Boat has daily weather and water temperature reports in Japanese. Look for 水温 (suion) for water temperature. 

3. Webcam:  Morito Beach

Winter Swimming

The water temperature drops to as low as 13C near the beaches in February and March, but is usually one or two degrees warmer further out. Here are a few gear suggestions for keeping warm:

1. Neoprene Vests: Several companies make thin neoprene vests to be worn under a wetsuit. These make a huge difference in the cold. Zone 3 Neoprene Warmth Vest    Orca Heatseeker Vest   Huub vest

2. Blueseventy Thermal Neoprene Skull Cap: This is a neoprene cap with a thermal lining which seems to work well. The chin strap is longer than other neoprene caps.

3. Blueseventy Thermal Swim Socks: These are the thermal version of the excellent Blueseventy swim socks that a lot of us wear.

Video: “How to swim in cold water”: GTN has a video which explains the body’s response to cold water swimming and offers advice.

Restaurants

Route 134

Dark Arts Coffee - a cafe run by an Italian; serves light lunches, including a great vegan brunch; they make their own soda bread; huge favourite with TnTers

Hayama Bread Club - a new bakery and cafe near Hayama Town Hall. It does vegan falafel lunch sets during the week, and other veggie options at weekends.

New Chandani - the best Indian restaurant in Japan

Morito

Whitely - a coffee shop and vegan cafe next to Morito Beach, Hayama. There is terrace seating.

Esmeralda - next door to Double Sandwich, this friendly cafe serves excellent warming Thai-style noodle soup (vegan). 

Cana - excellent pizza from a brick oven and pasta; there is one outdoor table

Kikusui - this is one of Hayama’s oldest restaurants, although the building is fairly recent. They serve a variety of food - pasta, fish, etc. Located in Morito, it gets very busy in summer.

Fatty’s - tiny, friendly Italian restaurant with reasonable priced pasta and salads

Isshiki

Isshiki Base - the nearest restaurant to Hayama-koen; relaxed atmosphere and varied menu

Hayama Nobu’s - an organic restaurant with lots of vegetarian options, but service can be slow;  20 minutes walk from the beach.

H and Cafe - the nearest restaurant to Hayama-koen is called H and Cafe. It serves a Hayama Brunch for 1600 yen. They also do slightly pricey pasta, curry, and burger dishes. Not the friendliest of places!

Zushi

Beach Muffin - a very popular restaurant with TiTers. It is in Zushi on the way back to the station. It does vegan chilli and burgers, and has local Yorocco craft beer.

A good lunch place is a tofu shop & restaurant called Kamakura Komachi Zushi Branch (鎌倉小町 逗子店). Opposite is the Bollywood Indian Restaurant. Click here for a list of restaurants in Zushi with an English menu.

Sightseeing

1. Hayama Museum of Modern Art - regular exhibitions of Japanese and international artists; the free grounds have great views across the ocean.

2. Hoshun Yamaguchi Memorial Hall - just across the road from the Museum of Modern Art is this charming art museum in the former home of artist Hoshun Yamaguchi. The artist's studio is a beautiful room with views out into the gardens. This is really worth visiting in late autumn for the maples.

3. Hayama Shiosai Gardens and Museum - these gardens, next to the Museum of Modern Art, used to be part of the imperial palace grounds, but are now a strolling garden complete with pines, maples, ponds and koi carp. The museum is fascinating. It has a collection of shells and  stuffed sea creatures collected by Emperor Hirohito who was a published amateur marine biologist.

4. Hayama Kachi-tei - a stunning villa designed by Arata Endo, a pupil of Frank Lloyd Wright. The house was until recently in a poor state, but a campaign by architects and local people has raised funds for its restoration. It has been used for concerts and cultural events, and until recently was open to the public during the annual Hayama Art Festival around Golden Week. You can now stay in the house, but it is very expensive. If you are interested in architecture, it is worth just looking at the building from the front gate. 

5. Hayama Art Festival - held annually for three weeks in late April / early May, the art festival is a mixed bunch of performances, exhibitions, and open houses. 

Articles

1. Swimming in Japan - information on swimming in Hayama

2. Isshiki is #65 in CNN's list of "100 best beaches around the world"!