Five beach houses near Tokyo that you must visit this summer

Living in Tokyo, we're lucky to have access to many beaches just outside the city, and there’s no better way to spend a summer weekend than basking in the sun by the sea. And in Japan, the best way to hit the beach in style is at an umi no ie (beach house). These often temporary surf-side hangouts are a convenient part of the summer season, providing all the essentials you need to enjoy a day on the beach.

You can get meals and cocktails, as well as rent your own deck chairs and parasols to upgrade your experience. Some beach houses are even equipped with luxurious lounges while others offer water activities. Here are our top five picks of the best beach houses near Tokyo this summer.

Seaside Living Zushi

This relaxing beach house in Zushi has a swanky bar serving refreshing cocktails all day long. Seaside Living’s menu is created by Cafe and Dining Sakae, which prides itself on using local produce sourced from Zushi and surrounding areas. 

The Cuban sandwich (from ¥1,200) with smoked chicken and cheese is the most popular item to just grab and go, but the Hawaiian dishes like loco moco (¥1,500) and spam avocado bowl (¥1,300) are commendable, too. Pair your food with an ice-cold Zushi craft beer (¥900) or a housemade lemonade (¥700) and you’ll be happy as a clam. 

If you’re here with a group of friends, it’s worth booking a barbecue set (from ¥3,300; for groups of at least four people), which comes with beef, pork, chicken and shrimp, plus a grilled onigiri and plenty of Shonan veggies to cook on the grill.

When: until September 3
Where: Zushi Beach, 2-10-18 Shinjuku, Zushi, Kanagawa

Sunset Beach Park Inage

It's been 40 years since Inage Seaside Park opened to the public and Chiba prefecture has made efforts to revitalise the attraction with new features. In addition to new parks, restaurants, a glamping area and an outdoor pool that opened just last summer, Inage Seaside Park now also offers a spectacular seaside café that sits on the 1.2 km-long pier. Weekends and holidays are the liveliest as there are music performances to entertain the crowds.

When: until September 30
Where: Inage Seaside Park, 7-2 Takahama, Mihama

Happy Go Lucky

Happy Go Lucky has been around for over a decade and it’s still one of the most popular beach houses with locals, who revel in its lavish, resort-inspired offerings. Anyone can just rock up to the bar and dining space, which offers Chinese noodles with deep fried mackerel (¥1,000), sausage platter (¥800), garlic shrimp (¥1,200) and honey mustard chicken pizza (¥1,200), just to name a few. The menu also lists around a dozen cocktails (from ¥700) and fruity margaritas (¥1,000), plus fruit juices (¥500), smoothies (¥750) and soda (¥500). 

For those looking for an active beach outing, book an outdoor yoga session at 8am on weekends (or 9am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) for ¥1,500. Since space is limited, reservations must be made in advance via Instagram. 

When: until September 4
Where: Zushi Beach, 2 Shinjuku, Zushi, Kanagawa

Oriental Resort in Shonan

This resort-chic beach house at Koshigoe Coast boasts one of the largest food courts in the Shonan area. It offers a range of local and international dishes like grilled seafood, steak, sausages and nasi goreng (fried rice). Access to the standard lounge area costs ¥1,500 per person, and it’s equipped with cabanas, plenty of couches and even a pool in the centre.

If you’re looking to splurge, get one of the seafront glamping tents (from ¥12,000 per person). These luxurious abodes come with lounge sofas, barbecue pits and a communal jacuzzi. Oriental Resort gets especially festive over the weekends, where it puts on Tahitian dance and Polynesian fire shows while you enjoy a sumptuous barbecue (from ¥10,000).

When: until August 31
Where: Koshigoe Coast, 2-9 Koshigoe, Kamakura, Kanagawa

Green Flash

Make a bee line for Green Flash beach house if you’re heading to Enoshima this summer. Enjoy classic Japanese meals like ramen, yakisoba and donburi by the ocean, or book a table for a barbeque in the afternoon. You’ll get a meat platter, veggies, yakisoba and grilled onigiri, plus a two-hour all-you-can-drink deal, for ¥6,000 per person. You might want to time your visit to one of these days – July 28, August 5, 10, 22 and 31 – to get the best views of the Enoshima Miami Beach Show fireworks. 

When: until September 3
Where: Katase Nishihama Beach, 2-20-8 Katasekaigan, Fujisawa, Kanagawa

Open House Ice Beach

Open House Ice Beach is almost twice the size of any regular beach house in this part of Greater Tokyo, spanning across 700 square metres on Kamakura Yuigahama Beach. The outdoor area serves up meals like fried rice and Japanese-style loco moco alongside plenty of ice-cold beers, highballs and soft drinks. It also offers services like showers and locker rental for ¥1,800 as well as parasol rentals for ¥1,500 (all day until 5pm).

The attached Ice Bar, on the other hand, is exactly as its name suggests. The inside of this bar is -15C, where you can enjoy ice-cold drinks while gazing at the beach. It costs ¥2,000 to go in for 10 minutes and includes a drink of your choice. While walk-ins are welcome, we recommend booking in advance via the website.

When: until August 31
Where: Kamakura Yuigahama Beach, 4 Yuigahama, Kamakura, Kanagawa

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