🇯🇵Japan

Japan is one of the rare places where a single country spans subtropical coral reefs, temperate kelp forests, and winter drift ice.

For most divers and snorkelers, the easiest entry point is Okinawa and the wider Ryukyu chain, where seasonal sea temperatures run roughly 24°C to 29°C and you can mix reefs, caves, turtles, and big-fish days.

Add a second region for contrast: the Izu Islands south of Tokyo for weekend shore diving, the Sanriku coast for dramatic temperate life, or Shiretoko in Hokkaido for ice diving.

Plan around weather. Late summer can bring typhoons to the south, while winter brings humpback whales to Okinawa and drift ice to the far north. Between dives, Japan is a dream for topside logistics: fast trains, domestic flights, spotless coastal towns, and the unbeatable post-dive combo of seafood and onsen.