Japan for the Uninvited

Imagine a beach where the sky is always blue, it’s never too hot or cold, and the surf is always perfect. Welcome to Ocean Dome, the world’s only indoor beach, in Miyazaki, Kyushu.

Ocean Dome has its own flame-spitting volcano, crushed white marble “sand”, and it also boasts the world’s largest retractable roof, providing a permanently blue sky. Temperature, wind and humidity are closely controlled to provide an ultra-safe “sea-side” experience.

Every hour, the volcano erupts and the hi-tech wave machines start up, starting a few minutes of sanitised surfing.

Entrance costs US$50, which seems especially expensive given that there is a free, natural beach only 300 metres away.

• The Great Indoors: Japan’s wacky indoor beach
• About.com: Miyazaki Ocean Dome
• Ocean Dome Seagaia
  Original Japanese TV commercial (1993)
• Official English language site
• Made in Japan
  Surfer’s opinion of Ocean Dome’s wavepool
• Miyazaki Seagaia
• SeaGaia – Ocean Dome
  Gallery of images
• Japanese Indoor Man-Made Beach