Summer heat has reached its peak as the record for high temperatures continues to break every day. To escape from hot and steamy city, people flock to beaches looking for sea bathing in cool sea breeze.

Misawa Veedol Beach, a short 30-mminute from Misawa AB, is one of the most popular beach spots in Aomori Prefecture. Also known as Sabishiro Kaigan, the Misawa Veedol Beach is a 250-meter-long and 300-meter-wide white beach, named after a glorious piece of aviation history.

In 1931, an airplane called “Miss Veedol,” operated by Clyde Pangborn and his co-pilot Hugh Herndon, took off from the beach and completed a non-stop flight over the Pacific Ocean to Wenatchee, Wash. for the first time in history. To commemorate this historical flight, Misawa became sister cities with Wenatchee and East Wenatchee Cities in 1981 and 2001, respectively.

The historical location is open to beachgoers, replete with showers, restroom facilities and on-duty lifeguards from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Aug. 31. You’ll also find a free, large parking lot while you’re there.

Nearby, there is the Pacific Observation Tower and Miss Veedol Memorial Park where you can check out a replica of the historical airplane while enjoying a breathtaking panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean from atop a 23-meter-tall observation tower.

Next time the summer heat is beating you down, hit back with a refreshing day at the beach!

Misawa Veedol Beach

• Location: Hamadori, Misawa City, Aomori Prefecture

• Open: July 4 – Aug. 31 (Lifeguards are assigned between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and toilet and shower facilities are available between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. throughout the period)

• URL: http://kite-misawa.com/misawa/misawa-veedol-beach/ (Japanese)

• (Ms. Veedol Memorial Park) https://kite-misawa.com/misawa/taiheiyou-tenbodai/ (Japanese)

• Tel: 0176-54-4870 (beach watchtower)

Misawa Air Base