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Hi, I'm Hiroshi — a 50-something blogger from Kansai, Japan, writing from "Ramen, Beer, and Sometimes a Blog."
I wanted to see the ocean. I also wanted to take my dog to a dog run.
The place that promised both was Umi no Koen ("Sea Park") in Yokohama's Kanazawa Ward — a beach park with a free dog run attached. Best of both worlds. Deal. We're going.
My Shiba Inu, Momiji, is unusually weak against heat, even by dog standards. She wilts fast. But this August day was cool with a light drizzle — perfect conditions for a heat-hating Shiba. So we hopped in the car.
Who this article is for:
- Anyone wondering where the Umi no Koen dog run is, and whether it's really free
- Dog owners planning a summer beach walk here (spoiler: check the ban period first)
- Anyone who wants parking fees and crowd levels before driving out
The Answers First (Field-Checked on August 16, 2026)
Here's the data up front — not impressions, but what I actually saw on site.
| Question | What I found |
|---|---|
| Where's the dog run? Is it free? | Two fenced areas under the elevated tracks by Seaside Line's Umi-no-Koen-Minamiguchi Station. Free, no reservation needed. It's called "Inu no Asobiba" (Dog Play Area) |
| Can dogs go on the beach in summer? | No — dogs are banned from the beach July 11 to August 31 (confirmed on the official sign on site). From September, it's OK |
| Parking fees? | About $2 (¥310) per hour; roughly $10 (¥1,550) for 4–12 hours (from the on-site sign) |
| Crowds | Sunday, 1 p.m., light rain: we had the dog run almost entirely to ourselves |
| Water fountain | None inside the dog run. Bring your dog's water |
| Drive time | About 1 hour from the Sagamihara area |
The park itself is open 24 hours with free admission, and the dog run is "use anytime, free of charge." But if your summer plan is "splash in the sea with my dog," read the beach-ban section below. I learned it the hard way.
Where Is the Dog Run at Umi no Koen?
We arrived just before 1 p.m. And yes — you can see the ocean right away. The name checks out.
Finding the dog run, though, took a moment. It's not obvious at first glance. We found a park map board and studied it.
The answer: under the elevated tracks of the Seaside Line. There are two fenced areas flanking Umi-no-Koen-Minamiguchi Station, run free of charge by the park's management center.
Map board at 12:58, dog run at 13:03 — about a 5-minute walk.
The two areas are meant to be split by dog size — one has a sign reading "medium and large dogs have priority." The gates are double-door airlocks to prevent escapes.
One important note: there is no water fountain inside the dog run. No agility equipment either. Just a big sandy floor under the tracks. Bring water for your dog.
Sunday, 1 p.m. — And We Had It All to Ourselves
When we arrived, there was one other visitor, who left almost immediately.
Which means: a private dog run, on a Sunday afternoon.
But honestly? Having the place to yourself sounds great, yet it's a little lonely when there are no other dogs. I wanted to watch Momiji play with somebody.
Then we spotted a ball stuck in a tree — a gift from a previous visitor, presumably. Fine. Fetch it is.
Here's the video — you can see how much space there is.
It was fun. Then, gradually, both Momiji and I got bored of it. Dogs really do play best with other dogs — that's not a facility problem, it's a timing problem. Weekends here reportedly draw dog owners from all over the region, so if you want canine company, a sunny weekend is your best bet. Flip side: if your dog is nervous around other dogs, a quiet rainy day here is paradise.
Dogs Are Banned from the Beach July 11 – August 31
After the dog run, we headed for the main event, part two: Momiji's beloved water splashing at the beach.
That's when we found this sign.
Nooo.
From July 11 to August 31, the beach and waterline are off-limits to dogs — for hygiene during the official swimming season. Swimmers get priority. I get the logic. I do. But still — nooo.
Momiji's splash session was canceled on the spot.
Oh well. We can come back in September. We found a place with a free dog run AND a dog-friendly beach (most of the year) — as a scouting trip, that's a perfect score.
If you're planning a summer beach walk here with your dog, mind that window. Some older dog-friendly guides mention "walking the 1km beach with your dog" — but in summer, the on-site rules win.
The Seaside Path, and Hakkeijima in the Mist
The beach was off-limits, but the seaside promenade is open to leashed dogs year-round.
Light rain, thin mist over the water. Across the bay, the roller coaster of Hakkeijima Sea Paradise floated in and out of view, and a windsurfer glided by. Everyone enjoys an August sea in their own way.
For another sea-and-dog outing, we once visited Jonanjima Seaside Park in Tokyo, where jets pass right overhead. Same "sea × dog" formula, completely different personality.
Parking: About $2 per Hour
Here's the fee sign I photographed on site.
- About $2 (¥310) per hour
- About $10 (¥1,550) for over 4 and up to 12 hours (hourly charges resume past 12 hours)
There are two lots — Shibaguchi (roughly 1,000 cars) and Isohama (about 360). Isohama is closer to the dog run. On this drizzly Sunday there was no wait at all, but the park officially warns of full lots and traffic jams during clam-digging season and fireworks events. On event days, take the Seaside Line — the dog run is literally at Umi-no-Koen-Minamiguchi Station.
A 2–3 hour dog run visit costs $4–6 in parking, and the run itself is free — compare that with paid facilities like Wonderful Nature Village's dog pool, and free hits different.
On the Way Back: a Meiji-Era Building Turned Starbucks
Heading home, we stumbled on an old building — white clapboard walls, green window frames, unmistakably "another era."
It was a Starbucks.
According to the interpretive sign, this is the former Nagahama Quarantine Station, Stop No. 1 — built after the cholera outbreaks of the Meiji era (1870s), now a nationally registered Tangible Cultural Property, relocated and restored here in March 2025.
Coffee in a 19th-century quarantine station. As someone who works in healthcare, there's something quietly moving about a public-health building retiring into a café.
Spot Information
| Name | Umi no Koen (Sea Park) — "Inu no Asobiba" dog run |
| Address | 10 Umi-no-Koen, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Access | Right at Seaside Line "Umi-no-Koen-Minamiguchi" Station (the run is under the station's elevated tracks). By car: about 2.5 km from Namiki IC or Sachiura exit |
| Parking | Two lots (Shibaguchi / Isohama). About $2/hour, about $10 for 4–12 hours (on-site sign, Aug 2026) |
| Fees | Park admission free / dog run free |
| Hours | Park open 24 hours; dog run "anytime" (individual facilities have their own hours) |
| Dogs | Leashed dogs OK on park paths; off-leash inside the dog run. Beach off-limits to dogs July 11 – Aug 31 (2026 on-site sign) |
| Notes | No water fountain in the dog run (bring water). No trash bins in the park — carry out |
| Official site | Umi no Koen (Yokohama Greenery Foundation, Japanese) |
📍 Google Maps: Open Umi no Koen in Google Maps
Final Thoughts
The dog run at Umi no Koen: two free, no-reservation areas under the tracks at Minamiguchi Station — and on a rainy Sunday at 1 p.m., completely ours.
Momiji's water-splashing plan was blocked by the summer beach ban, so that's postponed. But we found a place worth coming back to in September — as a scouting day, mission accomplished.
On the way home we stopped at Yokohama Nanbu Market, where I scored half-price wagyu beef offal, and my wife drove home while munching on little fried rockfish. That market is seriously cheap. If it were in our neighborhood, we'd be regulars.
Even on a day when the main plan falls through, you come home with a free dog run, a Meiji-era Starbucks, and half-price wagyu. That's what dog outings are really made of, I think.
Come September, I'll be back to add a photo of Momiji at the waterline.