The 39th All Japan Lifesaving Surf Carnival to be Held at Wakasa Wada Beach, the Setting of the Movie 'Lifesaver!' and Venue for the 2027 World Masters Games 2027 Kansai!

The Japan Lifesaving Association (JLA, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Chairman: Takuya Iritani) will hold the 39th All Japan Lifesaving Surf Carnival at Wakasa Wada Beach (Takahama Town, Oi District, Fukui Prefecture) on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21, 2026.

Event Overview

Event Name: The 39th All Japan Lifesaving Surf Carnival

Organizer: Japan Lifesaving Association

Schedule: June 20 (Sat) – 21 (Sun), 2026

Venue: Wakasa Wada Beach (Takahama Town, Oi District, Fukui Prefecture)

Supported by: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan Coast Guard, Fukui Prefecture, Takahama Town, Wakasa Takahama Tourism Association

Cooperated by: Fukui Lifesaving Association, Wakasa Wada Lifesaving Club, Kyoto Lifesaving Association (NPO)

Granted by: Sports Safety Association Sports Activity Promotion Grant Program

Number of Participants: 47 teams, 364 people

Event Page: https://ls.jla-lifesaving.or.jp/lifesaving-sports/event-schedule/no39-surfcarnival/

Other: This competition is a test event (pre-event) for the lifesaving competition of the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai, scheduled for May 2027.

This event is a test event (pre-event) for the lifesaving competition of the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai!!

This competition will serve as a test event (pre-event) for the lifesaving competition of the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai, to be held on Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23, 2027. Therefore, the venue will be the same Wakasa Wada Beach (Takahama Town, Oi District, Fukui Prefecture), and it will be the first time since 2016 that the JLA has organized a competition at this location.

Scene from the 2016 event

Eligibility for the lifesaving competition of the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai requires participants to be at least 25 years old as of December 31, 2027, and to belong to a certified lifesaving club. Both Japanese and international athletes are expected to participate. Age categories are divided into 5-year increments, allowing competitors to race against peers of the same generation. The event will include some disciplines not typically held in domestic competitions, and teams can freely decide their members for team events.

▼World Masters Games 2027 Kansai

https://wmg2027.jp/

▼World Masters Games 2027 Kansai Lifesaving Competition Page

https://wmg2027.jp/competition/lifesaving/

Wakasa Wada Beach: The Setting of the Movie 'Lifesaver!'!

The venue for this tournament, Wakasa Wada Beach, is the setting for the movie 'Lifesaver!', which will be released in Fukui on May 29, 2026, and nationwide on June 12, 2026.

Cast: Noserin, Satoshi Tokushige, Hina Irei, Takuya Nakayama, Naruki Matsukawa, Maki Tezuka, Koko Furuta, Emily Nakayama, Toshiya Sakai, Toru Kazama, Tokuma Nishioka

Director/Screenplay: Yoshihisa Kodama

Producer: Koei Kawai

▼Movie 'Lifesaver!' Official Website

https://lifesavermovie.jp/

▼Theater Information

https://eigakan.org/theaterpage/schedule.php?t=lifesaver

Furthermore, Wakasa Wada Beach has been awarded the 'BLUE FLAG' certification for 11 consecutive years since 2016.

'BLUE FLAG' is the world's most historic international environmental certification for beaches, marinas, and tourism boats, operated by the international NGO FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education). As of May 1, 2026, 15 locations in Japan (12 beaches and 3 marinas) have obtained BLUE FLAG certification. It is highly recognized in Europe, where BLUE FLAG beaches are considered 'clean, safe, and friendly beaches for everyone to enjoy,' attracting many visitors for vacations. Obtaining the BLUE FLAG requires local governments, beach, marina, and tourism boat managers and operators to meet strict standards.

Selection Competition for the Japan National Team at the Pinnacle of Lifesaving Sports

This tournament also serves as a selection competition for the 'Lifesaving Japan' national team for the Lifesaving World Championships 2026 (LWC2026), to be held in December in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. LWC2026 is the pinnacle of lifesaving sports competitions. Teams compete in a nation-vs-nation format over several days across three disciplines: SERC, Pool, and Ocean. Each team consists of 6 men and 6 women, for a total of 12 athletes.

<Open Japan National Team>

At the previous tournament, LWC2024, the team won Japan's first gold medal in the SERC competition on the first day. In the Ocean/Beach competitions, Seiya Horie won the gold medal in the men's beach flags, and Nato Ishiguro won the bronze medal in the women's beach flags. The overall ranking was a best-ever 6th place.

<Youth Japan National Team>

Despite some athletes participating in their first overseas expedition, they channeled their hope, challenge spirit, and the results of their accumulated training into five consecutive days of racing. In the Ocean/Beach events, Yushin Saito won a silver medal in the men's beach flags. The youth team achieved their goal of 8th place in the overall nation rankings.

SERC Competition Beach Flags (Women)

The selection targets are the athletes currently designated as Japan national team strengthening athletes under the 14th JLA High Performance Program (14th JHPP).

▼LWC2024 Lifesaving Japan Highlights (YouTube)

Other Stories: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLmIRHEUeExm26CxeYMzcbtchV2-UG0pS&si=nC0RG4fyRzAndu5D

▼14th JLA High Performance Program (14th JHPP) Japan National Team Strengthening Designated Athletes

https://ls.jla-lifesaving.or.jp/lifesaving-sports/jla-high-performance-program/

Competition Events

This tournament will feature 7 individual events and 2 team events. Many events are open to junior high school students and above, emphasizing the development of the next generation of athletes. The team events 'Beach Relay (Mixed)' and 'Ocean Lifesaver Relay (Mixed)' are special events for this tournament. Mixed-gender team events are rare in domestic competitions.

Additionally, athletes who place in the top 8 in individual events at this tournament will be granted a seeded entry right for the 52nd All Japan Lifesaving Championships, to be held in October at Katase Nishihama Beach (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture). Athletes who do not secure this right can qualify through regional qualifying rounds for the 52nd All Japan Lifesaving Championships in September.