Japan’s latest wave pool announces Summer 2026 launch date
The Ise Shima Cultural Development Company announced plans to build a new wave pool in Ago-cho, Shima City in the Mie Prefecture of Japan. The facility, named “Perfect Swell Shima,” is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026 and will cost an estimated 4 billion yen (approximately 26.6 million USD).
The wave pool will be a pneumatic American Wave Machine PerfectSwell model similar, but larger than the one used at Shizunami Surf Stadium. Japanese surf news website The Surf News added “the pool size will be expanded, making it the world’s largest pool with the same technology.” The article then listed the size as 220 meters long (720 feet) by 100 meters wide (328 feet).
The site is located in Shijima, Ago-cho, Shima City, near popular surf spots at Kokufu-no-hama and Ichigo-hama. The Surf News documented the surrounding area and potential sites for the surf park. You can see the images here.
Ise Shima Cultural Development Company is currently finalizing the acquisition of the land and plans to commence construction as soon as preparations are finished.
Upon opening, the facility will feature on-site dining with potential expansion to include more customer services on adjacent land. In artist sketches, the facility very few amenities and shows mainly rows of bleachers for viewing the action in at Japan’s next wave pool.
Elsewhere in Japan bike racing experts JPF, which stands for Jump Positive Future, are working with Wavegarden to open facilities.
Two wave pool projects are currently under planning with one located in the Kanto region, encompassing Tokyo and surrounding areas, and the other in the Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe region. In a 2022 interview, JPF said locations were 80% secured with final negotiations for the land details in progress.
JPF added that plans were also in place to build wave pools in Fukuoka, Miyazaki, and Okinawa.
Japan has a long history of wave pools. They built the Ocean Dome which, 20 years ago produced waves that many technologies still envy. Japan also hosted a wave pool contest at the height of the ASP mullet era.
Current wave pools include Surf Stadium Japan and Kobe Reyes. A hurriedly announced Kelly Slater Wave Company project looking to capitalise on the 2020 Olympics, never materialised.
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