Impressive place where the first surfing competition in the Olympics took place

 Impressive place where the first surfing competition in the Olympics took place

Located 80km east of Tokyo, the coastal town of Ichinomiya in Chiba Prefecture (Japan) has become the first place in the world to host a surfing competition in an Olympic Games. If it weren't for the Covid-19 pandemic, this place would be an international tourist attraction.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the place for the surfing competitions is the Tsurigasaki coast. (Photo: VISITCHIBA)

In 2016, according to the proposal of Japan - the host country of the 2020 Olympics, surfing was one of five sports added to the Olympic program. The proposal aims to include youth-oriented sports in the Olympic content, with the hope of attracting more spectators of a wider age range.

The waves at Ichinomiya are good enough for world tournaments of extreme water sports (Image: VISTITCHIBA)

The town of Ichinomiya has a small population, about 12,000 people. But every year, this surfing "mecca" of Japan attracts about 600,000 people to come here to surf because the waves here are of high quality for this extreme sport.

In addition, the town attracts visitors in part thanks to its geographical location near Tokyo. From Tokyo, it only takes about an hour by train to reach one of Japan's most famous surf towns. Ichinomiya is also welcoming new citizens to live in order to be closer to the waves.

In Ichinomiya, bicycles are often fitted with a support device to fix the surfboard like a bicycle (Image: MATCHA)

The town government is promoting an economic policy related to surfing, called "Surfonomics", to increase the town's income from surfing. On the road along the beach are surf shops and restaurants facing the sea.

Surfing is an important cultural and economic pillar of the town, according to Kyodo, head of the town Masaya Mabuchi. There are between 2,000 and 3,000 residents in Ichinomya who surf daily or work in a surf-related occupation. About 40% of the 150 primary school students are familiar with the waves on the planks.