Surf Check Japan: MICHIHIKI

"Can I surf today?" answered in 30 seconds. MICHIHIKI (Japanese for the ebb and flow of the tide) is a surf conditions app for Japan and Korea. It covers 122 spots: 84 across 19 areas in Japan (Niigata, Ibaraki, Chiba, Shonan, Izu, Shizuoka, Yamaguchi and more) and 38 across 8 areas in Korea (Sokcho, Yangyang, Gangneung, Pohang, Busan, Jeju and the west coast). Waves, tides, wind and water temperature in one place, so you don't have to jump between apps. Free, no account. Install and it just works. Available in English, Japanese and Korean. EVERYTHING ON ONE SCREEN Wave height and swell, tides, wind and water temperature for each spot on one screen. Wave size is also shown in body terms (knee, waist, chest), so it makes sense even if you're not used to the numbers. RATED FOR YOUR LEVEL Set beginner, intermediate or advanced and the same sea state is rated differently. Waves too big for a beginner are not rated highly, and waves too small for an advanced surfer are shown as such. Each spot gets a simple three-step rating and the app suggests the best spot in the area. DECIDE WHEN TO PADDLE OUT - BEST TIME: the best window of the day - Wave-height graph, hour by hour - Tide: high and low tide times and heights (Japan: Japan Meteorological Agency tide tables; Korea: sea-level model) - Wind direction and speed, with onshore / offshore judged for the spot - Water temperature and a wetsuit guide - 16-day outlook with the best day MAP VIEW Compare waves, wind and water temperature across all areas on a map. Wind is drawn as flow and water temperature as color, so the promising area stands out at a glance. SPOT BASICS For each spot: which wind directions are offshore, which swell directions work, and where the tide data comes from. PRIVACY No ads, no account, no location tracking. Usage statistics can be turned off in Settings. NOTE Values shown are weather/wave-model output and estimates derived from it, not an official forecast. Actual conditions may differ. Tsunami warnings are shown for Japan only; for Korea, check the Korea Meteorological Administration. Always check the beach yourself before entering the water; the final decision is yours. Wave and wind data: Open-Meteo (ECMWF, MFWAM). Tide data: Japan Meteorological Agency (Japan), Open-Meteo (Korea).

Pick Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced right from the level prompt; ratings switch to your level at once. The Today? tab opens with your usual spot and now covers tomorrow (after 6 pm it starts with tomorrow). Values are labeled as weather-model output, and the confidence display is gone. Each spot has a "See tomorrow's waves" link to tomorrow's hourly view. Picking an area in the header no longer changes your home area (set it in My Page or via "Set as home").