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Quick Things to Know: - You need 1 week notice for permission and 3 days for insurance - The DZ staff replied promptly and with detail though maybe only once per day and in the afternoon local time so give yourself time to organise things - They jump from 12.5k and around 10 slots in the caravan are reserved for tandems - There's FF and FS jumpers on the DZ, including several English speakers, who were incredibly friendly - When I went, there was no load organising - The nearest station is Okegawa and there are buses to the DZ - Be careful with international transfers, the DZ will accept cash if you show you're definitely committed to going and are struggling to pay up front, and their bank took a lot of mine in fees. I was working in Kyoto for a few weeks and got in touch with the DZ. They explained the pricing structure, logistics, and the kit they had available very thoroughly. The prices are as listed in the recent reviews, and a 1 week notice is needed to get permission and 3 days for insurance. They have a range of rigs you can hire which were in decent condition and all fitted with AADs. I jumped a 190 silhouette and they also had a 170 sabre 2 and 200 nav available (among others, I was after something around this size), and they let you pack for yourself which saves some of the cost. I did have an issue in paying for the membership and insurance (8000 yen up front) as it was transferred from the UK and their bank ate a lot of it in fees. Initially they asked me to pay the missing amount but when I emailed back to discuss it, the CI agreed it wasn't fair and told me not to worry. I arrived into Okegawa at around 3:40 and decided to walk because I arrived in the one time of day when there was a long wait for the bus. This was a big mistake in 38*c conditions, especially with google maps which led me into a dead end in a boggy rice field! After finally getting there, I was introduced by one of the staff members (who spoke very good English) to some jumpers who were from the UK and US. They were very welcoming, we went out for dinner as it was too late to get ready to jump. Then I stayed about 15mins away in the clubhouse overnight which was free (although apparently they normally charge). It had toilets, showers, a microwave and fridge, TV/DVD, bedding, and aircon. The next day we left early to manifest because it was so busy but I got 4 jumps in throughout the day, including 1 on the last lift which was all sports jumpers. The plane was nice, and riding to altitude with the door open in that heat was amazing, as was seeing Mt Fuji from the air. They go to 12.5k which put us about on level with its peak. The landing area was small (long and narrow) and there's quite a few hazards around but also a lot of landmarks so accuracy in planning the pattern was easier. The DZ orientation was also thorough and jumpers were happy to go over anything I'd forgotten from it. After the day's jumping (be mindful the last lift is at 5), I was allowed to crash at the clubhouse again, even though they were closed the next day. It ended up that one of the jumpers offered me his spare room (just shows how welcoming they were!). Overall, a really awesome weekend and great break during the working holiday - highly recommended.

I went to visit friends & vacation in Hiroshima and decided to make a couple jumps since I was already going to be over there. You have to get permission from the Japanese Ministry at least 7 days prior to when you plan on jumping, so make sure to email the DZ ahead of time and they will file the paperwork. You will also have to pay for at least one month of club membership & skydiving insurance at least 3 days prior to jumping, which came to be about $80 U.S. Currency. I would estimate that about 80% of the DZ can understand, if not speak English so there was not really any sort of language barrier. Ask for one of the club members named Nao if you have any questions at all and he can also introduce you to other jumpers. They have jumpers from several different countries, everyone was super friendly, and I ended up staying overnight at the DZ clubhouse just down the street from the airport. The professionalism of the club members and facilities were excellent and they will certainly go out of their way to make you feel at home. While I will admit that the jump tickets are more expensive than most places and there is more paperwork to complete ahead of time it was still entirely worth it. The views under canopy are breathtaking, so all in all it was completely worth the extra effort and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

On May 23, 2009, I had the great opportunity to skydive Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo Skydiving Club (TSC), though a small dropzone, is an unbelievable place to go skydiving. First off, it is easily accessible from anywhere in Tokyo. Their website gives you detailed information on their location and on how to get there. Whether by train or bus, it's fairly easy to find your way there, and the individuals working at the dropzone will usually have no problem picking you up from the bus station and/or train station. Nevertheless, before you can have the opportunity to jump there, you need to notify the drop zone that you have the intention of jumping. You need to do this at least one week in advance since it takes about 7 days to get permission from the government to skydive in Japan; and permission is usually granted with ease. Furthermore, you need to pay for insurance and membership fees: "Temporary" membership and insurance fees cost roughly a total of 6,500 yen and will be valid for one month. Though it might seem complicated, time consuming, and costly to go through this process, it will ultimately be worth it. From the moment you begin your ascent in the airplane, you immediately become stunned by the stellar views of Japan. From the bustling cities below, which are surrounded by beautiful rice paddies and rivers, to an epic view of Mt. Fuji in the distance, every second of freefall will be memorable and enjoyable. Specifically, the information the drop zone will require from you consists of: Name: specify first and last name Nationality: Address: In Japan, if you have Phone number: In Japan, if you have Date of birth: DD/MM/YY Sex: M or F Height: Weight: License number and organization: Total number of jumps: Date and place of your last jump: Equipment: *AAD required Date of your reserve repacked: Date of your visit: The Prices are: Jump ticket = JPY6,000 (from 12,500 feet) Tandem jump with no camera : JPY30,000 Tandem jump with camera by tandem master : JPY38,000 (movie in DVD) Tandem jump with air cameraman : JPY46,000 (movie and still photo in DVDs) Video and Photo to hire out an Air Cameraman: JPY10,000 The drop zone opens at 8:30 am and closes roughly at around sunset (depending on how many people are jumping that day). The people at TSC are extremely friendly and professional. From the moment I arrived, I was greeted with open arms and treated very hospitably. TSC walked me through all the paper work that needed filling out and showed me many aerial views of the dropzone so that I could become comfortable with knowing the terrain and in learning the landing patterns. Furthermore, all the other fun jumpers at the dropzone were very helpful, engaging and friendly. After my first jump, the manifest would hook me up with other jumpers so I could experience jumping with others. Though some of the other jumpers didn’t speak any English, there were many people at the dropzone, including people working the manifest and facilities, that could speak perfect English. Thus, I never faced any communication problem, and anything that needed translating was done immediately and for my convenience. In addition, TSC has a covered packing area where you can also hire out a packer for the day. The service the dropzone provides is amazing. At the end of the day, I was also given a ride from the dropzone to the train station so that I wouldn’t have to do any walking or waiting. The plane TSC used was a grand caravan (C-208B), which could hold a maximum of 19 jumpers. Though there were no seats on the airplane, everyone was comfortably organized on the floor. You sat front to back, with the front guy sitting against the back guy’s legs. In addition, everyone was strapped down by seat belts. Also, you need to be careful you understand the lighting sequence at the door. Instead of the conventional red light/green light system, the plane has a system of 3 lights that tell you how much more time you have before you can exit the plane. No worries though—the people at TSC will explain to you everything you need to know regarding this system. In regards to their other facilities, TSC has a bathroom and numerous vending machines. The vending machines, unfortunately, only provide an assortment of drinks; therefore, you need to make sure to bring food with you. If you don’t bring food, then you’ll have to drive off the dropzone and find food elsewhere. When I went to TSC, I forgot to bring food, but the individuals at TSC were very friendly and drove me into town to pick up some goodies. As mentioned before, the people at TSC will do everything in their power to make your experience enjoyable and to cater to all your needs. I highly recommend this dropzone to anybody who has the great fortune of visiting Tokyo, Japan. Finally, I did not stay at the dropzone overnight, but supposedly they have a very nice bunk house with showers that can accommodate you if you decide to stay the night.

I started skydiving seven years ago but only two years back I really was infected with the virus. Since then I visited about 8 different dropzones in Europe. For work I had to visit Tokyo, and this is my third visit. Previous times were to busy to think of jumping. I did sent a mail but didn't get any reply. This time I have some more time and I called with some help from the hotel lobby. After contacting the right person, it only took a week for the permit to be arranged and I visited the dropzone the next weekend. As a dutch person taking a bus was somewhat difficult but for less then 20euro's I was able to take a taxi. Leaving from Okegawa station taking a bus is easy. After crossing the bridge over the river just take the first stop. Then it is a 20 minutes walk to the DZ (they also have a clubhouse which is closer to the bus stop, if you can be there at 7:45 probably someone can take you to the DZ which is about 1km away). When I stepped out of the taxi a loud welcome was shouted. This proved to be an oasis for english speaking people in Japan. I am used to 80% only speaking Japanese, here it is 80% speaking english. I was not only welcomed in words, also the people were really friendly and helpfull. I didn't bring all of my gear with me (I was not sure how much I could take with me) so I rented gear locally (about 17 euro/jump). A few Sabre 170's were avaible, almost I could jump a Sabre 2 but the repack was 4 days overdue :(. My skydiving level is not such that I can play around with the realy experienced people, it is just above a graduated AFF student. But this proved to be no problem. The first day I made two solo jumps, just enjoying the views. But I felt so much at home that I came back the second day. This time arranging a 3-way with a very experienced and another less-experienced skydiver was done in an eyeblink. This was one of the most fun jumps I have ever made! To bad that there were so many people and tandems wanting to jump that at 13:00 the manifest was full for the rest of the day. But I already was asked to join the BBQ later that day so I stayed to enjoy the atmosphere. Together with some other jumpers that were also 'grounded' I went for some icescream at a pet-farm nearby. After the BBQ I still didn't wan't to leave, but I could get a lift back to the station so I had to go. Next time I will take a sleeping bag with me so I can stay at the bunkhouse! I planned to go back the next weekend, however weather wasn't that great due to a typhoon (the one day it was good I couldn't visit). Hopefully next friday I have some time again... And if I ever visit Tokyo again, I will for sure drop by if I can make the time! I put some pictures with comments on the web: http://beuf.is-a-geek.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Tokyo-Skydiving

There are some awesome skydivers here. This is where the national teams are when they aren't in Florida. There are also usually some foreigners kicking around. No worries about finding someone to jump with and many of them speak good Enlgish, despite the fact they will tell you otherwise. It takes about 25-30 minutes to get their Caravan to 13,000ft. Pilots in full uniform and white gloves is something you'll not experience often. It's expensive too jump but it’s all relative if you’re making a Japanese salary. There’s some amazingly trippy scenery with Fuji-san and the Japanese Alps in the background and Tokyo almost directly below. If you’re a foreigner who has lived in Japan, you'll probably understand some of the differences you'll see at this DZ as oppposed to others in the West. It’s all part of the experience and that’s what makes Japan a cool place. If you’re just visiting, respect their culture. The bunkhouse is nice and the people are cool but I'd suggest hitting up areas of Tokyo (i.e Roppongi, Shinjuku or Shibuya) for nightime fun. Tanoshinde!