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Tsunami Drones Deployed at Surf Beach in Japan

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 10:11 AM ET

In 2011, Japan was rocked by a 9.0 undersea earthquake and resulting tsunami. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan, and the waves it generated spanned up to 30-feet high before making landfall. Approximately 20,000 died.

One of the major causes of casualties was that people in certain areas were not alerted of the incoming wall of water. Now, as a preventative measure, Japan is deploying a system of drones to detect potential tsunamis to warn people ahead of time. And specifically, these drones are being deployed in Japan’s surf-rich region of Chiba.

During a demonstration recently, according to local news, there was “a drone taking off from the town government office and sounding its siren from a height of 25 meters to explain a training exercise was in progress. The drone then began urging surfers to ‘immediately evacuate to elevated land’ while repeating a ‘towering tsunami alert.’”

Chiba, both a city and a prefecture east of Tokyo in Japan, is one of the country’s primary zones for surfing. At its Olympic debut during the Tokyo 2020 Games, surfing was held at Tsurigasaki Beach in Ichinomiya, which is in Chiba. The waves, if you’ll recall, weren’t the best during surfing’s inaugural Olympic appearance. However, even though Japan has been known to get some seriously epic waves – see John John Florence’s memorable slab session from 2011 – and while Chiba might not be the world class, it is perhaps the country’s most consistent and notable surf zones.

As for the new tsunami drones, disaster protection expert Michiru Takahashi said:

“The point is to make people aware of danger. We want to create a city where as many people as possible can be saved from disasters, and where no one suffers. We have been working with the keyword of ‘not leaving anyone behind.’”

So, now you know. If you find yourself surfing in Chiba, and a drone flies overhead that’s not your buddy’s new Christmas present, maybe get to higher ground.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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