Best Diving Spots in Japan | Comparing Kerama Islands & Shakotan Peninsula, Firsthand
Ask me for the best diving spots in Japan and I'll name Okinawa's Kerama Islands and Hokkaido's Shakotan Peninsula without hesitation. I've dived both — for my certification and for specialty courses. These two areas have completely different visibility and water temperature, and here's a firsthand comparison of both.
In short, if it's your first time, go for the warm and calm Kerama Islands; once you've stepped up your certification, the cold, exceptionally clear Shakotan Peninsula is a great next step.
How Are Kerama and Shakotan Different?
| Kerama Islands (Okinawa) | Shakotan Peninsula (Hokkaido) | |
|---|---|---|
| Water temperature | Relatively warm year-round | Cold (a drysuit is standard) |
| Visibility | High, known as "Kerama Blue" | High, known as "Shakotan Blue" |
| Gear needed | Wetsuit | Drysuit |
| Best suited for | First-timers, anyone who wants to enjoy their certification course | Advanced and above, anyone chasing a different kind of scenery |
| Best season | Early summer through autumn (watch for typhoon season) | Summer (midwinter is for advanced divers) |
Okinawa's Kerama Islands: Outstanding "Kerama Blue" Clarity
About an hour by boat from Naha, the Kerama Islands are known worldwide for how clear the water is. The blue known as "Kerama Blue" is something you can feel the moment you enter the water, and getting to see this scenery on my very first dive directly fed into my motivation to keep diving afterward. This is where I got my Open Water certification, and with its high visibility and calm sites, I feel it's a great sea for beginner training. The water is also relatively warm year-round, so a wetsuit is comfortable for a long stretch of the season.
- Characteristics: high visibility, coral reefs, a high rate of sea turtle encounters
- Best suited for: anyone diving for the very first time, or wanting their course to become a fond memory
- Best season: early summer through autumn when water temperature is stable (watch for typhoon season)
Hokkaido's Shakotan Peninsula: Cold, Clear "Shakotan Blue"
Shakotan, on the other hand, has cold water but a different kind of high clarity than Okinawa. This is where I got my Advanced Open Water certification wearing a drysuit — coming from a warm sea, both the gear and the buoyancy feel were completely different, and I was thrown off at first. But that came with a clarity and a chance to meet creatures you can only find in cold water that you can't experience in warm water. Night diving in particular showed me completely different creature behavior from daytime, and the fun outweighed the fear by a good margin.
- Characteristics: high clarity known as "Shakotan Blue," an ecosystem unique to cold water, drysuit diving is standard
- Best suited for: anyone Advanced-certified and above wanting to try a specialty, or wanting a different scenery from warm water
- Best season: summer, when water temperature and visibility both rise (midwinter is for advanced divers)
Kerama vs. Shakotan — Which Should I Dive First?
For anyone about to get their C-card, I'd recommend a warm sea like Kerama first. The water is warm and a wetsuit alone is all you need, which makes it easier to focus purely on the diving itself. Once you've logged some dives and step up to Advanced and beyond, taking on a cold, exceptionally clear sea like Shakotan opens up a lot of new discoveries — gear differences included — and significantly widens what diving can offer you.
Summary
The Kerama Islands and the Shakotan Peninsula are both called "diving in Japan," yet have contrasting appeal — completely different water temperature, visibility, and gear requirements. I personally discovered how fun diving is in warm Okinawa, and its real depth in cold Hokkaido. Both are fields genuinely worth visiting.
MY 100 DIVES: Scuba Diving Logbook
A diving logbook where you can record the depth, water temperature, and visibility of every sea you've visited. Handy for comparing and looking back on records from different areas like Kerama and Shakotan. (Japanese-language book.)
📖 Read on Kindle for ¥1,628Frequently Asked Questions
Q. For a first diving trip, is Kerama or Shakotan better?
A. For a first trip, Kerama is a good choice — the water is warm and a wetsuit is all you need. Shakotan is more enjoyable once you're Advanced-certified and used to a drysuit.
Q. Is drysuit training required to dive in Shakotan?
A. It's not strictly required, but given how cold the water is, diving there essentially means diving in a drysuit. Taking a drysuit specialty course beforehand means you won't be caught off guard on the day.
Q. How do I get to the Kerama Islands?
A. About an hour by boat from mainland Okinawa (Naha). Many day-trip diving tours are also available.
Q. When is the best season for the Shakotan Peninsula?
A. Summer, when water temperature and visibility both go up, is the easiest time to dive. Midwinter is considered more suited to advanced divers.
Q. Which area is better for seeing sea turtles?
A. The Kerama Islands are known for a high rate of sea turtle encounters, making it a relatively good area to see one even on your very first dive.