Skydive Japan

[thomas.n.thomas 0]

I read the 6 reviews here on DZ.com - sounds like a nice spot, and I will have an opportunity to go there over the winter. My question is, who here has jumped over there, and do you think it's worth bringing your rig for only a day of jumping (maybe 2 jumps based on how busy it sounds)?

Additionally, I'm wondering what the weather will be like in late December / early January - I will be there for two weeks, not sure if it's jumpable there at that time.

Last question - what's the LZ like? I'm used to having a relatively open area to land in (nothing so enormous as Elsinore), so I'm a bit tentative about going somewhere unfamiliar where I have to land on a postage stamp.

[Bealio 0]

I was stationed there and did a handfull of jumps and I specifically remember them telling me they were closed in late december/ early january. Tokyo Skydiving Club is one of the 2 clubs near Tokyo. You can't just walk in there and do a jump, you'll have to contact them and transfer money to them prior to your visit. The landing area was plenty big.

Seeing Mount Fuji from altitude is pretty cool, but may not be worth the hassle. Contact the dropzone and they'll reply with a long e-mail explaining what you have to do. Also note, they are closed at the moment because of the recent fatality, so you may not get a quick response.

[JeffCa 0]

thomas.n.thomas

I read the 6 reviews here on DZ.com - sounds like a nice spot, and I will have an opportunity to go there over the winter. My question is, who here has jumped over there, and do you think it's worth bringing your rig for only a day of jumping (maybe 2 jumps based on how busy it sounds)?

Additionally, I'm wondering what the weather will be like in late December / early January - I will be there for two weeks, not sure if it's jumpable there at that time.

Last question - what's the LZ like? I'm used to having a relatively open area to land in (nothing so enormous as Elsinore), so I'm a bit tentative about going somewhere unfamiliar where I have to land on a postage stamp.

Tokyo Skydiving Club, not Skydive Japan. I jump there. If you can pack quickly and can stay for the whole day, 4 jumps is entirely reasonable. I'm a slow packer on my new gear and go home early (bus), so I get 2-3 in a day.

We are closed because of the fatality, but the hope is to open again this weekend. I'd imagine it could be a while before you get a response, they must be backed up with stuff at the moment.

The LZ is Elsinore-shaped, but not as big. It's not as long and not as wide, but still plenty of room to land. Because it's shaped like a runway, there are only 2 directions you can land. A cross-directional landing would not be recommended or looked kindly upon by the staff.

There's a 30,000 yen (about US$300 at current rates) annual membership fee. I'm not sure if single-day jumpers need to pay it or if there's a reduced rate, but you need to apply 1 week before you want to jump.

This is my first year in the club, so I don't know about the hours or conditions in the winter holiday period.

You can ask more questions here or PM me.

"So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth

[Rover 9]

Did about 150 jumps there in the 90s. Bloody cold at that time of the year and if they are operating I wouldn't bother! It's expensive and a major hassle if you don't know the language.
Great people though![/cool]

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

[JeffCa 0]

Rover

Did about 150 jumps there in the 90s. Bloody cold at that time of the year and if they are operating I wouldn't bother! It's expensive and a major hassle if you don't know the language.
Great people though![/cool]

The language shouldn't be a barrier. Plenty of people there are native English speakers. And of the Japanese, one tandem master worked in Australia for many years, 2 other staff are fluent in English and another is reasonably good. Some other jumpers have excellent English skills. Most of the Japanese jumpers are willing to jump with the foreigners. And also, almost every skydiving word in Japanese is just a slightly mangled version of the English.

The cost has come down since you were there. When I first visited, it used to be about 6,500 yen (~ US$65) per jump, but now it's 5,000 yen (~ US$50) and if you buy 30 or more tickets, it's only 3,000 (~ US$30) yen each. Don't forget the 30,000 yen to sign up, though. Gear rental is 2,000 yen per jump plus 1,000 yen if you want them to pack for you.

The reason you have to apply 1 week before you want to jump is because of government regulations and insurance registration.

"So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth

[Rover 9]

F**k it was 6500 yen a jump when I was there!

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

[JeffCa 0]

Rover

F**k it was 6500 yen a jump when I was there!

I'm told that the reason is that they bought the plane outright and don't have to pay rental for it anymore.

"So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth

[dvdcoon 0]

The DZ altitude is at 39 feet. The landing area is highlighted in the picture. Very similar to Perris' landing area, but slightly larger and with soft grass. Standard rectangular patterns apply, but the final leg of your pattern must be parallel with the runway. No diagonal crap like at Elsinore. You will receive a thorough DZ briefing in broken English, so pay attention and ask questions. Don't fuck up like someone did last week...now their DZ is closed.

Skydiving fees there are generally double what you would pay at Elsinore. That goes for packing and gear rental too. You don't have to buy a annual club membership...instead you can buy the shorter term membership which is cheaper. You'll have to buy insurance too. Email them ahead of time. Sending them money for this was the tricky part. Luckily I had a friend in Japan do it for me. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The regular jumpers are too. The DZ is tricky to find, and a bit of a walk if you're taking the bus like me. I got lost and literally followed canopies to the DZ. I'm glad I didn't bring my gear.

The plane is in great condition, but lacks seats. Jumprun can be confusing, so let the natives spot and communicate with the pilot. Have fun and be safe.

[JeffCa 0]

Rover

F**k it was 6500 yen a jump when I was there!

You're right, it was 6,500 yen. I just edited my post. I wasn't thinking when I wrote that. 5,000 yen is the current single-jump price. Big discount down to 3,000 yen for the 30-ticket package!

"So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth

[JeffCa 0]

dvdcoon

Skydiving fees there are generally double what you would pay at Elsinore. That goes for packing and gear rental too.

Double? No way, not if you buy the 30-jump minimum! I was just at Elsinore this spring, paying $25 per jump. In Tokyo, it's $30 with the package. And gear rental is not bad either, $20 per jump. $10 for the pack, if you want it. I was paying about $7 + tip to the packers at Elsinore.

When the exchange rate was drastically different a year ago, it made the USA look much cheaper, but it still wasn't double in Tokyo. I planned my trip to Elsinore when the dollar was at 76 yen. Then it rose to about 96 yen on me before I left. I paid 25% more than I had planned to, but it also makes Japan look more attractive to jump in.

"So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth

[Pacific 0]

JeffCa

***
Skydiving fees there are generally double what you would pay at Elsinore. That goes for packing and gear rental too.

Double? No way, not if you buy the 30-jump minimum! I was just at Elsinore this spring, paying $25 per jump. In Tokyo, it's $30 with the package. And gear rental is not bad either, $20 per jump. $10 for the pack, if you want it. I was paying about $7 + tip to the packers at Elsinore.

When the exchange rate was drastically different a year ago, it made the USA look much cheaper, but it still wasn't double in Tokyo. I planned my trip to Elsinore when the dollar was at 76 yen. Then it rose to about 96 yen on me before I left. I paid 25% more than I had planned to, but it also makes Japan look more attractive to jump in.

OP is only planning to make a couple jumps in a single day. Therefore, he'll likely not be getting the 30 jump package. From what I've gathered here, a single day of jumping in Japan is considerably more expensive than a single day of jumping at a busy American dropzone.

[AStack75 4]

Pacific

From what I've gathered here, a single day of jumping in Japan is considerably more expensive than a single day of jumping at a busy American dropzone.

A single day of doing just about anything in the Tokyo area is considerably more expensive than a single day doing the same thing just about anywhere in the US.

[Pablo.Moreno 0]

I wonder if i do a few tandem they would let me jump cheaper lol.

going to Tokyo for a week and was planing maybe doing a jump, but not if is going to cost me close to $400.

[thomas.n.thomas 0]

Thanks for the replies everyone, and thanks for the correction - I felt a bit of a dunce realizing that my naming error probably causes confusion.

I have decided after some more research and some info from here that I will forgo bringing my rig. If the weather is nice, I will rent and try a jump there, but more than likely I will decide to see other sights. That means I will have to return in Summer '15 while my parents are still there and bring my rig then. That or I can figure out a way to do some leave without pay from work and go there this next Summer. Why wait, right?

Anyone know about running video? If I go in Summer '15, I should have enough jumps, experience, training (if all goes according to plan), but I guess I should email them to ask about the local rules.

[JeffCa 0]

thomas.n.thomas

Anyone know about running video? If I go in Summer '15, I should have enough jumps, experience, training (if all goes according to plan), but I guess I should email them to ask about the local rules.

I don't know if we have an actual policy, but we have jumpers well under 200 total jumps who have cameras. I think we even have some who are sub-100 jump.

"So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth

[Mel5 0]

I jumped at the Tokyo Skydiving Club last summer and thought it was completely worth the extra costs and paperwork. I met a ton of jumpers from different countries while I was there and everyone went out of their way to make me feel at home. I ended up staying overnight, since they have a clubhouse just down the street from the DZ with very nice facilities. The LZ is actually fairly open and they will give you a briefing beforehand. Just make sure to contact them by email a couple weeks prior to your visit, since they have to file paperwork with the government to allow you to jump there.

[Pablo.Moreno 0]

I should rephrase,

If I was going to do more than just one skydive, then it would be worth it to go and do a few jumps.

I am on a family holiday so doing a bunch of jumps isn't an option specially since we are going to be here only for only 9 days.

If I were to do a skydiving holiday out of it then it would definitely be worth it.

[gato_fly 0]

the other DZ is skydive fujioka DZ its a heli operation for about 6500 yen i used to jump both locations for 2 years and fujioka is open year round beautiful jump location with a heart shaped lake.