Kaifu River (Japanese Pipeline)

Kaifu River is nicknamed the Japanese Pipeline, and when typhoon swells funnel into this rivermouth in southern Tokushima, the name is justified. The wave produces grinding right-hand barrels over a sandbar formed by the Kaifu River's outflow, located in the scenic Muroto-Anan Quasi-National Park. Access to the peak is reserved for experienced surfers, and localism runs deep—but those who earn respect are rewarded with some of Japan's heaviest tubes.