Japan Hopes New Reef Will Produce Good Waves

September 06 2007 at 02:54AM

Tokyo - Japan plans to build its first artificial reef to respond to the growing number of surfers as more Japanese kick back on the waves, officials said on Wednesday.

Japan has a vibrant surfing culture, with tanned surfers sporting bleached hair seen even in the coldest months of winter at Shonan beach near Tokyo.

But hardcore surfing aficionados tend to head overseas, particularly to Hawaii, due to the dearth of good waves at home.

The western prefecture of Wakayama, just south of Osaka, plans to make a reef out of natural stones and shaped like a boomerang, which would produce waves of up to two metres.

The reef, to be built off the coast of Nachikatsuura, a seashore village, will not only target experienced surfers but also beginners, said Koji Naka, a local tourism official.

"There is a growing number of surfers in the local region as well as surrounding areas. We hope to attract surfer tourists and make it as famous as Shonan," he said.

The reef will be built on sand, which will be safe for beginners, he said.It will be built six metres below the water surface and will measure 50m by 4.5m.

Construction is slated to begin late December or early January 2008, Naka said.

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