Ishiwaki, Japan

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Amagasaki, is 160 km away. Nearest airport: TTJ (TTJ), 19 km.

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About Ishiwaki

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (339°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (159°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Amagasaki, is 160 km away. Nearest airport: TTJ (TTJ), 19 km.

Water about 22°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 25 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Kansai International Airport (KIX), changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
See flights MDW → KIX · Skyscanner from about £600 returnAd
Getting there. 3 h 15 from the airport to Ishiwaki.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Amagasaki, is 160 km away. Nearest airport: TTJ (TTJ), 19 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Ishiwaki · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Ishiwaki · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Ishiwaki on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Ishiwaki, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	25, too small	2 ft5 shollow	23kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots	25°C
Mon 19Oct	22, too small	2 ft5 shollow	21kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots, offshore	25°C
Tue 20Oct	36, fair	3 ft6 shollow	44kJ	wind from the south-west, 0 knots	22°C
Wed 21Oct	7, too small	2 ft4 shollow	7kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots	26°C
Thu 22Oct	31, poor	5 ft7 shollow	180kJ	wind from the north, 8 knots	19°C
Fri 23Oct	29, too small	3 ft6 shollow	58kJ	wind from the east, 10 knots	22°C
Sat 24Oct	20, too small	2 ft6 shollow	22kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots	22°C
Sun 25Oct	7, too small	1 ft6 shollow	4kJ	wind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore	23°C
Mon 26Oct	36, fair	3 ft4 smushy	23kJ	wind from the east, 4 knots	24°C
Tue 27Oct	3, too small	2 ft6 smushy	32kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 15 knots	22°C
Wed 28Oct	0, poor	–	–	–	–

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to KIX, changing at SFO, then 3h 15 by road. About 25h 40 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Ishiwaki
Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, wind 0 kn (0 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Ishiwaki
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Ishiwaki
Best 18:00 to 21:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to KIX, changing at SFO, then 3h 15 by road. About 25h 40 door to door

Rough cost

About £925–£1,825 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return MDW to KIX, estimated from distance and season, changing at SFO, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£600–£1,250
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£70–£115
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£925–£1,825

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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